Everything you need to know about STIR/SHAKEN

Fraudulent calls have been around for a long time, however due to robocalling technology the number of fraudulent calls are rising each year. So what is robocalling exactly? 

Robocalling

A robotic call, or robocall, is a phone call that is automatically placed by a computer. The computer has a list of numbers to dial and the moment you answer it will either connect you to an agent or play a pre-recorded message. The systems can dial multiple recipients at the same time, making robocalling a relatively inexpensive method to use. 

Though robocalls can be legit, as they are still used for weather alerts, pollical campaign messages, broadcasts from essential services and more, this technology is also used for fraudulent purposes and this number is rising. Today more than 40% the robocalls made are fraudulent.  

Caller ID Spoofing

Most fraudulent calls display a number that is altered to spoof those of legitimate organizations, increasing the chance that victims answer the call. Victims think that it was the Police, a delivery firm or their bank that was trying to contact them. 

Fraudulent Robocall Warning Signs 

• You receive an automated sales call from a company you have not given consent to contact you. 
• A prerecorded message tells you to press “1” or some other key to be taken off a call list.
• The message offers you goods or services for free or at a suspiciously deep discount.
• The message says you owe back taxes or unpaid bills and face legal or financial consequences if you don’t pay immediately. 
• The message says you’ve won a big lottery or sweepstakes prize and tells you to press a key or call a number to claim it.

If you receive these calls, hang up and do not press any keys. If the robocall claims to be from, say, your bank, look up their phone number online, call and ask if they contacted you. 

STIR/SHAKEN

In response to the growing number of fraudulent calls, the FCC has adopted rules requiring service providers to deploy a STIR/SHAKEN solution by June 30, 2021. 

STIR/SHAKEN is a technology framework designed to reduce fraudulent robocalls and illegal phone number spoofing. STIR stands for Secure Telephony Identity Revisited. SHAKEN stands for Secure Handling of Asserted information using toKENs. 

Many carriers and service providers have created tools to identify and block fraudulent calls. Unfortunately, these tools aren’t perfect. Sometimes legitimate calls are marked as “SPAM LIKELY”, “SPAM RISK” or “SCAM LIKELY” incorrectly. If your phone number is incorrectly marked as spam or blocked, read here what you can do about it. 

Are you still confused and want to learn more about STIR/SHAKEN and what Dynamix is doing to combat call fraud? Schedule a call with one of our experts to get your STIR/SHAKEN questions answered.