If your outbound calls are showing up as “Spam Risk” or “Scam Likely,” it can feel maddening when you have already done the “right” thing and implemented STIR/SHAKEN.
Here is the reality. STIR/SHAKEN is about caller ID authentication, not caller reputation. It helps carriers confirm whether a call is likely spoofed, but carriers still use reputation analytics and user feedback to decide whether a call should be labeled or blocked. Even platform providers like Twilio explicitly note that SHAKEN/STIR will not remove nuisance labeling.
This is why many teams reduce their dependence on cold outbound calling and shift more first contact to messaging. Tools like Meera, for example, can engage leads via SMS in a compliant way, qualify intent, and pass only serious prospects to your team, which reduces the call patterns that often trigger spam labels.
In this guide, we will break down what STIR/SHAKEN does, why calls still get flagged, and what you can do to fix labeling across carriers.
What STIR/SHAKEN Actually Solves and What It Does Not?
STIR/SHAKEN is a technology specifically designed to digitally authenticate calls as they pass through carrier networks and eliminate the risk of illegal robocalls and caller ID spoofing.
However, it is important to note that it doesn’t guarantee deliverability, answer rates, or a clean reputation score because carriers and call protection systems can still label and filter calls using their own analytics. AT&T, for example, explicitly distinguishes between “verified” indicators and calls marked as spam or fraud risk, and notes that spam risk calls may not receive verification indicators.
So if you are asking, “We have STIR/SHAKEN, why are we still being labeled?”, the most logical answer is that although you have authentication, your traffic still looks suspicious to carrier analytics, which causes it to be labeled.
What are the Most Common Reasons Legitimate Calls Still Get Labeled?
Carrier labeling systems do not rely on just one factor, but a mix of behavioral patterns, to determine whether a call appears trustworthy. This could be identity consistency, historical reputation, or even user feedback.
Businesses can follow all standard protocols, but still get flagged if the carrier system’s analytics pick up on any of these factors, and their calling activity unintentionally indicates spam-like behavior, which is why, before you look into technical solutions for this problem, it is important to understand what is the reason you’re getting labeled.
Here are some underlying issues you can address to resolve the problem:
Your calls have partial or weak attestation
Even in a STIR/SHAKEN world, calls can be signed with different attestation levels, commonly described as A, B, or C.
An A-level means the provider knows the customer and the caller ID is authorized, while lower levels indicate less certainty. If your traffic is frequently signed at B or C, carriers may still treat the calls as higher risk, especially when combined with other suspicious signals.
Your call patterns match spam behavior
Spam detection is heavily pattern-based. High call volume from one number in a short period, short call durations, and low answer rates can all look like robocall behavior, even when you are a legitimate business. This is especially common when teams use power dialers and rapidly cycle through lists.
Your number has a poor history or a lost reputation after porting
If your number was previously abused, or if it is newly activated with no history, it can get flagged more easily. Porting can also disrupt reputation signals between ecosystems and temporarily increase labeling risk.
Caller ID data is inconsistent or incomplete
Carrier analytics do not only look at signatures. They also look at whether the caller ID looks consistent and trustworthy. Mismatched caller name data and inconsistent presentation can contribute to suspicion.
End users and call protection apps are reporting you
User feedback matters. When recipients mark your calls as spam, it can influence your reputation, and many consumer protection products use network analytics and machine learning to identify spam patterns.
How to Diagnose the Real Cause of Labelling?
Here are some steps you need to follow to diagnose the real cause of labelling:
- Treat this like a funnel problem, not a telecom mystery.
- Look at what changed in the last 30 to 60 days. Did you increase calling volume too quickly? Did you start using new numbers? Did you port numbers? Did you change your outbound provider?
- Look at the signals carriers care about.
- Check your answer rate and average call duration. If a large portion of calls are going unanswered and the average duration is very short, your traffic can resemble nuisance calling.
- Verify your STIR/SHAKEN attestation level. If you are not consistently getting strong attestation, you may have an upstream configuration or identity problem.
What Actually Fixes “Spam Risk” Labeling?
There are various approaches to fix the “Spam Risk” labelling issue, and we have mentioned some of the most effective solutions below:
Improve identity consistency and attestation quality
Work with your voice provider to increase the likelihood of A-level attestation where possible and ensure caller ID data is consistent. The attestation levels exist specifically to express how confidently the caller ID can be trusted.
Adjust call patterns so they look human, not robotic
If you spin up a new number and immediately push heavy outbound volume, you often get flagged. Some providers explicitly recommend warming numbers and ramping volume gradually.
You also want to reduce behaviors that carriers interpret as nuisance calling, like repeated short-duration calls.
Monitor and remediate reputation, not just authentication
STIR/SHAKEN helps prove calls are not spoofed, but analytics and reputation still drive labeling decisions. This is a widely discussed issue in the industry, including by reputation-focused providers who stress that authentication alone does not solve labeling.
If your business relies heavily on outbound calls, proactive monitoring and remediation should be part of operations, not a one-time setup.
Consider branded calling and richer identity signals
Some carriers and industry discussions point to branded calling and richer caller identity data as an additional trust layer beyond basic authentication.
Best Tools to Reduce Cold Calling Reliance and Keep Leads Warm
A practical way to reduce spam labeling risk is to lower the volume of repeated outbound attempts and move early-stage qualification to channels that feel less intrusive.
Meera
If your team is calling lots of leads just to figure out who is serious, an SMS-first qualification layer can remove a huge amount of outbound call pressure. Meera is an AI texting platform that can respond instantly, qualify intent through two-way SMS conversations, and route warm prospects to your team when they are ready.
HubSpot workflows with messaging integrations
If your pipeline lives in a CRM like HubSpot, workflow automation combined with messaging integrations can help you respond quickly and keep follow-ups consistent, without requiring your team to personally manage every thread.
Twilio for custom messaging and call flows
If you want full control, Twilio provides programmable building blocks for SMS and calling. Twilio also notes that SHAKEN/STIR does not remove nuisance labels, which is a helpful reminder that deliverability requires more than authentication alone.
Plivo for Custom Messaging and Call Flows
If you want full control over your voice and messaging infrastructure, Plivo offers programmable APIs for SMS and outbound calling. It allows teams to build customized call flows, manage caller ID configuration, and integrate directly with internal systems. Like other programmable voice providers, it is important to remember that STIR/SHAKEN authentication does not automatically prevent spam labeling, since carrier analytics and reputation signals still influence call treatment.
Wrapping It Up
STIR/SHAKEN is necessary, but it is not a guarantee that carriers will stop labeling your calls. Carrier analytics, reputation signals, calling patterns, and user feedback still determine whether a call gets marked as Spam Risk.
The fix is usually a combination of stronger identity consistency, healthier call patterns, and reputation monitoring. And for many teams, the fastest relief comes from shifting early qualification to SMS so outbound calling is focused on warmer prospects instead of brute-force dialing.