Spam labels such as “Scam Likely,” “Potential Spam,” and “Telemarketer” are warnings added by your carrier, your phone’s software, or a call analytics company. They are educated guesses based on calling patterns and consumer complaints. A label is not proof that a call was illegal, but a pattern of labeled sales calls or robocalls can help support a TCPA claim.
Who Puts Spam Labels on Incoming Calls?
The caller does not choose the label. It is added on your end, usually by one of three layers:
- Your wireless carrier. T-Mobile’s Scam Shield, Verizon’s Call Filter, and AT&T’s ActiveArmor all screen calls on the network before they reach you.
- Call analytics companies. Carriers and phone makers hire outside firms to score calls. First Orion works with T-Mobile. Hiya says its technology is built into networks and devices, including Samsung phones, and that it analyzes billions of calls each month. TNS offers carriers a robocall protection product called Call Guardian, along with number reputation monitoring.
- Your phone or an installed app. Phone makers and third-party call blocking apps can add their own warnings.
The FTC sums up the basic idea: with call labeling, “shady calls will still come through, but you’ll see things like ‘spam’ or ‘scam likely’ on your phone’s screen.” You then decide whether to answer.
Spam Call Labels by Carrier: T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T
| Service | Labels and categories it uses | What happens to the call |
|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile Scam Shield | Scam Likely; Potential Spam | Scam Likely calls ring through with a warning. Dialing #662# turns on Scam Block, which stops them before they ring. Potential Spam calls can be sent to voicemail. |
| Verizon Call Filter (free) | Alerts for potential spam, robocalls and fraud | High-risk spam can be sent to voicemail or blocked, depending on your settings. |
| Verizon Call Filter Plus | Spam risk meter, plus categories including Telemarketer, Nonprofit, Political and Survey | You can block or send calls to voicemail by category. |
| AT&T ActiveArmor | Fraud and spam call alerts and blocking | Unwanted calls can be blocked or sent to voicemail. |
Verizon has said Call Filter features are moving into its Verizon Protect app, so the names on your screen may change. The exact wording you see can also depend on your phone’s software and any apps you use. That is why two people can see different labels for the same number.
What Common Spam Call Labels Mean
- Scam Likely is T-Mobile’s strongest warning. It signals suspected fraud, not just an unwanted sales call.
- Potential Spam is a broader label used by Verizon, T-Mobile, and others. Verizon describes these as unwanted callers that may be calling a large number of people “indiscriminately or inappropriately.” T-Mobile uses it for unwanted solicitation calls that are not aimed at you specifically.
- Spam Risk usually reflects a scored level of risk rather than a simple yes-or-no. Verizon’s Call Filter Plus, for example, shows a spam risk meter.
- Suspected Telemarketer and similar category labels indicate the call appears to be a sales call. Verizon defines its Telemarketer category as a “sales call to solicit a product or service.”
How STIR/SHAKEN Caller ID Authentication Affects Spam Labels
STIR/SHAKEN is the caller ID authentication system that the FCC required voice providers to put in place in the internet-based parts of their networks. The provider who starts a call signs it with an attestation level. The FCC describes three:
- A, full attestation: the provider knows the customer and confirms the customer is allowed to use that number.
- B, partial attestation: the provider knows the customer but cannot confirm the number.
- C, gateway attestation: the provider is only the entry point for a call that started elsewhere, such as overseas or on a network without STIR/SHAKEN.
Attestation does not block calls, and it is not a spam label. It is one of many signal carriers and analytics firms that analytics firms can weigh. When the FCC adopted the mandate, it chose not to require any specific way of displaying results to consumers and asked for public comment on mislabeling concerns. For recent rule changes, see our news story on STIR/SHAKEN caller ID rules.
Is a Spam-Labeled Call Illegal? What the Label Means Legally
This is the part most people get wrong. A spam label is a prediction made by a private company. It is not a finding that the caller broke any law. It does not show whether you gave consent, whether the call was recorded, or whether your number was on the Do Not Call Registry. Those are the facts a TCPA claim usually turns on.
Labels also miss in both directions. Legitimate businesses get flagged, which is why First Orion markets a service to help companies “catch labeling errors fast.” And illegal calls can slip through with no label at all. The carriers say so themselves: T-Mobile warns that turning on Scam Block “might block calls you want,” AT&T says ActiveArmor “may not detect all threats and may inadvertently block wanted calls,” and the FTC says call blocking services “might block some calls you want to get.”
When Spam-Labeled Calls Can Support a TCPA Lawsuit
A label is useful when it aligns with the right facts. Repeated labeled calls may support a claim when:
- they are sales calls from the same company, your number has been on the Do Not Call Registry for a while, and you received more than one within a year (47 U.S.C. 227(c)(5));
- they play a prerecorded or AI-generated voice on your cell phone to market something, and you never gave written consent (47 C.F.R. 64.1200(a)(2));
- they keep coming after you clearly asked the company to stop and the company has had a reasonable amount of time to honor that request (64.1200(d)(3) and (a)(10)).
The TCPA provides statutory damages for each qualifying call, and a court can increase that amount if it finds the violation was willful or knowing. The label helps you spot the pattern. The recording, the company’s name, and the dates of the calls are what prove it.
How to Get Your Phone Number Removed From Spam Labels
If your own calls are showing up as spam, you can ask for a review. Verizon directs people to a spam feedback page for mislabeled numbers. First Orion and Hiya both offer free business number registration to reduce incorrect labels. If a scammer is spoofing your number, the label may reflect their calls rather than yours.
What to Do About Scam Likely and Potential Spam Calls
Do not treat a label as your evidence. Treat it as a reason to start keeping evidence. Let labeled calls go to voicemail, save any recordings, and note the date, time, and number of each call in our call log. If the same company keeps calling, check whether your number is on the Do Not Call Registry and read our guide to illegal telemarketing calls. Then ask for a free case review.
Phone Spam Label Explained
- Potential Spam: What the Label Means on Verizon, T-Mobile and Other Phones
“Potential Spam” calls explained: what the Verizon and T-Mobile label means, why real businesses get flagged, and when robocalls can support a TCPA lawsuit.
- Scam Likely: What It Means When Your Phone Shows It
Scam Likely is T-Mobile's warning for suspected fraud calls. Learn who applies the label, how to block Scam Likely calls and when they lead to a claim.
- Spam Risk: How Phones Score Incoming Calls and What It Means
Spam Risk on an incoming call? Learn what the warning means, how carriers score numbers, and when repeated calls may break the TCPA.
- Suspected Telemarketer: What the Label Means and Your Rights
Seeing “Suspected Telemarketer” on your phone? Learn what the label means, when sales calls break Do Not Call rules, and whether you can sue.
Spam Call Label FAQs
Who decides if a call is labeled spam?
Your carrier or its analytics partner decides, not the caller. T-Mobile works with First Orion, and companies like Hiya and TNS provide call analytics to carriers and phone makers. Your phone or apps you install can add their own labels.
Does a spam label mean the call was illegal?
No. A label is a private company’s prediction based on patterns and reports. Whether a call broke the TCPA depends on factors such as consent, prerecorded voice, and Do Not Call status, not on the label.
Why do different phones show different spam labels for the same number?
Each carrier, phone maker, and app uses its own data and wording. A Verizon customer may see one warning, while a T-Mobile customer may see “Scam Likely” or no label at all.
Can I get my number removed from spam labels?
You can ask your carrier or the analytics company to review it. Verizon has a spam feedback page, and First Orion and Hiya offer free business number registration.
Can spam-labeled calls be used in a TCPA lawsuit?
The label itself is weak evidence. Your call log, voicemails, and the caller’s identity can support a TCPA claim if the calls were sales calls to a Do Not Call number or used a prerecorded voice without consent.