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The number of robocalls and spam calls that our customers (and ourselves) are receiving is increasing. Empowered by the TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence), the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is working with industry leaders (including Nextiva) and standards bodies to iron out the specific details and some deadlines as to how the TRACED Act is implemented. As of August 31, 2021, Nextiva discontinued the ability for customers to freely enter any number for their outbound caller ID. This is meant to eliminate the ability to use Nextiva’s service for malicious caller ID spoofing in compliance with regulations. |
What exactly is changing?
Customers who wish to use numbers for their outbound caller ID, other than those provided by Nextiva, must provide proof of authorization to use those numbers as soon as possible.
What numbers must I submit proof for?
Any number not purchased by or ported/transferred to Nextiva that you wish to use as your outgoing caller ID.
How do I submit my proof?
Click this link to upload your document(s) and sign the waiver.
What is considered a “non-Nextiva number”? What proof can I submit?
- Any number that you did not purchase from Nextiva or that you did not port/transfer to Nextiva.
- Acceptable proof: If you own the number(s) you can submit a recent phone bill (from the last 45 days). If you don’t own the number(s) but do have the right to use it, you can submit a letter of authorization (LOA) from the number owner.
How will I know my documents have been accepted and verified?
You’ll receive an email within a week, confirming that we reviewed and approved your use of the number(s) submitted. If there are any issues with your documents, we will contact you.
How does STIR/SHAKEN address robocalls and “spoofing”?
The technology helps to identify spoofed ANI (Automatic Number Identification), or what is commonly referred to as “caller ID.” Some businesses use this technique for legitimate reasons. For example, a company with multiple telephone numbers may elect to present only one ANI for all outbound calls no matter which line is used. That way, if someone calls back, they are always calling the desired number (i.e., their main number or designated customer service number). As long as the number being presented is assigned to or legitimately used by the organization, it may continue doing so, even after the new regulations are in effect, provided that Nextiva verifies permission to use the number.
However, this technique is also frequently used by spam callers. These spam calls commonly referred to as robocalls, are often processed by advanced communication systems like predictive dialers. Companies spoof the ANI of the call, many times presenting a local phone number, trying to trick consumers into answering the call. This method has been used for sales calls or more nefarious reasons, like fraud or unauthorized access to information, money, or control. As a result, the FCC is mandating that all carriers and communication service providers take specific actions to prevent this type of ANI spoofing.
For additional information on STIR/SHAKEN, click here.
Why is it called “STIR/SHAKEN”?
They’re acronyms. STIR stands for “Secure Telephony Identity Revisited”, and SHAKEN stands for “Secure Handling of Asserted information using toKENs”.
How will incoming calls be impacted by robocall mitigation?
We have begun to warn customers when an incoming call could be either spam or a robocall, by displaying a message like “Robo?”, “Spam?”, or “Fraudulent Call,” preceding or replacing the caller ID name when the phone number of the caller is in one of the national robocaller databases. This was enabled on June 29, 2021.
Starting January 2024, we will display a message via Call Pop to indicate whether the calling number has passed or failed validation. If the number passes validation, a green checkmark will be displayed. However, if the number fails validation, a warning message will be displayed. If the number is not verified, it will show as normal.
Why can’t I save my number under the configurable calling line?
When saving a number as the outbound caller ID, OCIR (Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Registry) will compare the number to the list of authorized numbers on your account. If the specified number is not on the account’s list of authorized numbers, the change will not be saved.
Click this link to upload your document(s) and sign the waiver to use a non-Nextiva phone number for your outbound caller ID.
What if I have questions?
Visit Nextiva Support to chat live with a Support team member, or use this form to submit a ticket and someone will reach out within 24 hours.