"Potential Spam" Calls: What They Are and How To Block Them

When an unknown number calls you, how do you know if it’s a spam call or a real person trying to contact you? With only the number and location to guide you, there’s not much right off the bat that indicates whether or not a call is spam. But with labeling features like “Potential Spam,” you’re one step closer to determining who called you. 

As helpful as the “Potential Spam” label is, it still doesn’t stop the calls from coming through. And if you receive a high number of spam calls, this can get quite annoying and become disruptive to your day. 

Learn what Potential Spam calls are and how to block them so you can keep your phone organized and clear of unwanted calls. 

What Is a “Potential Spam” Call?

A “Potential Spam” call is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a call that your phone carrier has identified as possible spam, but they’re not sure enough to block the call themselves. 

When the call comes in, you will see the label “Potential Spam” as well as the location of the call in the caller ID. The goal of this label is to help you know which calls you should avoid picking up so you don’t waste your time or fall victim to a scam. 

The “Potential Spam” filter is run through your phone service provider, not your physical phone. “Potential Spam” is what Verizon calls this feature, but other companies like T-Mobile and AT&T might use “Scam Likely” or “Spam Risk” instead. All of these labels mean the same thing: the call will come through, but you probably shouldn’t answer it. 

Types of Spam Calls

There are a variety of types of spam calls you may receive that could end up labeled as “Potential Spam.” Knowing the types of scams that are out there and the tactics scammers use to trick you can help protect you from accidentally falling for them. 

The good thing is that most phone carriers will take the initiative to prevent you from receiving calls from numbers they know to be spam, but there’s no way to completely 100% eliminate spam calls. Types of spam calls you might encounter include: 

Robocalls

Robocall is a broad term that encompasses a variety of other spam calls as well. It refers to calls that are made via a computerized autodialer, meaning there is not a real person typing in your number and pressing “call.” 

If you answer, the call will either play an automated/pre-recorded message or it will connect you with a real person. More sophisticated robocalls might even have personalized messages that can include your name if they’ve identified that your number belongs to you. 

Some robocalls are only meant to confirm that your number is active. So, if you answer, they may immediately hang up. Now that they know your number is active, you will likely be added to a calling list that may be sold to other scammers so they can call you next. 

The other types of spam calls listed below can all fall under the robocall umbrella if they use an automated dialer and pre-recorded messages. Some can even sound like real companies trying to contact you. This is where spam calls can become dangerous if you believe you’re talking to someone who legitimately needs information from you. 

Are There Legitimate Robocalls?

Because the term robocall technically just refers to the way in which someone calls you, there can be legitimate robocalls as well. The Federal Trade Commission has compiled a list of robocalls that are allowed to contact people with their permission. 

Some of these may even be important and/or helpful to you, which is why it truly can be difficult to sort spam from genuine unknown numbers. 

• Informational: messages about flight delays/cancellations, upcoming doctor’s appointment reminders, etc.
  
  
• Debt Collection: businesses reminding or confronting you about a debt you owe (but this is also a common scam)
  
  
• Prescription Refills: reminders to refill a prescription
  
  
• Charity: messages from charities (but this is also a common scam)

Phishing Scams

Phishing is a wide spam category that includes scam emails and texts. Voice phishing, exclusively done on phones, is also sometimes known as vishing. 

This is when someone calls and tries to trick you into giving them money or personal information. The caller will typically act like they’re part of a real company to gain your trust and make the scam seem more legitimate. 

There will often be pressure to pay immediately or sign up for whatever fake service they’re offering. They may also tell you that you won something, will incur fines if you don’t pay now, or will make a lot of money later if you pay a little now. 

Phishers will always pressure you more than a real company would. It’s a good idea to never give out sensitive personal information over the phone to avoid this type of scam. 

Spoofing Calls

Spoofing calls are when someone changes their Caller ID to be something other than their true number. Often spoofers will use numbers for government agencies to seem legit and gain your trust. 

They might also imitate a local number, so you are more likely to think the call could be from a local business or office you frequent. If you pick up, spoofers may ask for personal information or try to scam you out of money, similar to phishing. 

Unfortunately, spoofers can also use your personal number in their spoofs. This means they can call someone else, but it will look like the call is coming from you. 

Spoofers can get access to your number if you answer a robocall because they will know your number is active. There are also a variety of other ways your number can be leaked or hacked online to achieve this. 

Travel Scams

Travel scams occur when callers promise you a “free” trip or a cheap but lavish vacation if you only pay specific fees upfront. Often, the deal will sound way too good to be true, and they will pressure you into paying/signing up way more than a real company would. 

They may pose as real travel companies and even go to lengths to make the vacation seem legit, but you can usually sense it’s not a real offer. 

IRS Scams

Scammers will also call you pretending to be the IRS and ask for information like account pin numbers, passwords, and credit card information. These scams occur more frequently during tax season to appeal real. 

Because taxes are tricky and people may be worried that they filed wrong, IRS scams can be effective. The IRS will never leave pre-recorded messages; if they do contact you, they will never be urgent or threatening. 

Loan Scams

Scammers can also pose as companies that promise you unbelievably good loans if you only pay an application or processing fee. If you’re ever going to take out a loan, always do it with a trusted company that you initiate contact with first to avoid scams. 

Charity Scams

Charity scams are callers that pretend to be a charity asking for donations. They will typically pressure you way more to pay than any real charity would, so this is always a good sign that the call is a scam. 

Telemarketers

And there are always the good old telemarketers. Telemarketers will try to convince you to buy products or services from them over the phone. These calls are usually from real companies, but they are definitely annoying and best ignored. 

How Do I Block “Potential Spam” Calls?

There isn’t a way to specifically block calls labeled as “Potential Spam,” but you can block all unknown numbers on both Android and iPhone. Blocking unknown numbers will send callers straight to voicemail, and you won’t have to be disturbed by the call notification. 

Your recent calls will still keep a record of these numbers, though, which comes in handy in the event that an unknown number was actually a real business trying to reach you. 

How To Block Unknown Numbers

Here are the steps to block unknown numbers on Androids and iPhones.

Android

1. Open the Phone app
2. Click the menu button (three dots) 
3. Click on Settings
4. Click Block Numbers
5. Turn the Block Unknown Callers switch on (it should be green) 

iPhone

1. Open the Settings app
2. Scroll down to Phone
3. Scroll down and turn on Silence Unknown Callers (it should be green) 

How To Block Individual Numbers

You can also block specific numbers on both Androids and iPhones to prevent certain spammers from reaching you again. This is helpful if you only receive a few spam calls and want to get rid of those numbers specifically instead of silencing all unknown callers. 

Android

1. Open the Phone app
2. Go to the Recent tab
3. Locate the number you want to block
4. Tap on the information icon (“i”) 
5. Click Block and confirm 

iPhone

1. Open the Phone app
2. Go to the Recents tab
3. Find the number you want to block
4. Click on the information icon beside it (“i”)
5. Scroll down to Block Caller
6. Tap Block Contact to confirm

Join the National Do Not Call Registry

Another strategy you can use to reduce potential spam calls is to register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry. Your number will now be part of a list that telemarketers and sellers are not allowed to call. Registration is free. 

While it doesn’t block all spam from reaching you, it does help limit the number of spam calls you can receive. If you’ve registered and are still receiving spam, you can also report it to the Federal Trade Commission. 

Use a Second Phone Number

When your phone number is leaked or discovered by hackers online, they can add you to more spam call lists, which in turn increases the number of potential spam calls you have to deal with. By using a second phone number app for all of your secondary needs, you can limit the number of times your real number appears online, which helps decrease the risk of it becoming compromised. 

Second phone numbers are great for anything secondary, like social media accounts, online shopping, and even businesses you don’t often interact with. Apps like Burner allow you to keep all of the calls made to your second number in the app, so there is less traffic going through your main number. This not only helps reduce spam but also is a great way to organize your contacts. 

Burner also has built-in spam blockers to help minimize the quantity and riskiness of spam calls you do receive. Try Burner today to reduce potential spam on your main number. 

Potential Spam Best Practices

Once you’ve done your due diligence on blocking potential spam, here are some additional tips you can use to safely deal with the remaining spam calls you receive. 

Don’t Answer Unknown Numbers

The best thing to do when an unknown number calls you is to let it go to voicemail. Since some robocalls specifically call you only to check if your number is active, you don’t want to confirm it so they can use it in further scams. You also can’t fall for a scam if you don’t hear it to begin with. 

Anyone who absolutely needs to call you will leave a voicemail, email, or text to confirm their identity and the reason they’re calling. You don’t have to answer; you can always call them back once you know the number is real. 

Use Your Phone Carrier’s Resources

In general, if you encounter issues with a spam number that’s harassing you, an unusually large amount of spam calls, Potential Spam blocking real numbers, or anything else, you can always contact your provider for support. 

The three major American phone carriers also have services that specifically target scam calls to reduce how many calls you receive. Every program is different, but they all have the same goal of reducing spam. 

Verizon

Verizon, the company known for labeling spam as “Potential Spam,” has a free or paid service called Call Filter that screens and automatically blocks suspicious calls before they even make it through to your phone. 

Potential fraud calls are automatically sent to voicemail, so there’s not even a chance you could fall for whatever they tell you. In the event that Call Filter accidentally mislabels a real call as spam, you can report it to Verizon so they can address the issue. 

T-Mobile

Potential spam calls on a T-Mobile network will appear as Scam Likely. T-Mobile also offers a program called Scam Shield that provides additional protection against spam calls. 

This program includes:

• Spam Block, which blocks all calls that are believed to be spam.
  
  
• Caller ID, which allows you to see who is calling you in a more detailed way, even if they’re not in your contacts.
  
  
• Scam Reporting, so you can report scam callers and prevent them from contacting you or others again. 

The base program is free, but they also offer Scam Shield Premium, which includes even more anti-spam features. 

AT&T

AT&T offers a phone security program called ActiveArmor. You can determine which potential spam numbers are allowed to reach you, which are blocked, and which are sent to voicemail. The free version includes spam control while the paid version, ActiveArmor Advanced, also comes with Safe Browsing, Public Wi-Fi Protection, and Identity Monitoring. 

If you’re looking to switch providers or are deciding which company seems like the best fit for you, it’s a good idea to dive deeper into the anti-spam features offered within these programs when making your decision. And if you want to use a smaller carrier company, make sure they at least have some spam filtering features included in their plans before you commit. 

Never Give Out Sensitive Information

Rare is the case in which a legitimate company will require you to give out sensitive information over the phone. You should almost always have the option of giving that information in person or through a secure website.

If someone on the phone is asking for any kind of personal information, including your address, social security number, bank information, insurance, account passwords, or answers to security questions, do not answer them. And, of course, block and/or report that number immediately. 

What To Remember About Potential Spam

Potential spam is a label that appears by the caller ID when an unknown number calls you. It means that the number has been flagged as possible spam, and you should exercise caution if you answer it. The best thing to do is let the call go to voicemail and of course never reveal any personal information before confirming the legitimacy of the caller. 

You can block spam calls either by blocking all unknown numbers, or blocking individual numbers after they call you. You can also join the National Do Not Call Registry or sign up for an additional protective plan through your phone provider. 

Use your best judgment when dealing with potential spam; if something seems suspicious, it probably is. 

Sources: 

Who Is "Potential Spam," and Why Do They Keep Calling?

How to Block Spam Calls & Robocalls | Verizon

Caller ID Spoofing | Federal Communications Commission

Beware of scammers posing as the IRS | Internal Revenue Service