What is a “Scam Likely” call, and how do you block them? 

If “Scam Likely” comes up on your phone when you receive an incoming call, it means that your mobile carrier has flagged that number as one that is likely to be from an unwanted caller, like a telemarketer or scammers.


Wireless providers, like Verizon^®, are often able to detect and flag nuisance calls. They do this by checking numbers against a database of known scammers, or looking for trends that indicate fraudulent activity, such as several short calls in a row from the same number—especially ones made to numbers on the Do Not Call Registry. They then mark the call as “Scam Likely” to help customers more easily identify deceitful calls.  


5 signs of a scam caller 

Verizon Security Advisors work hard to keep you and your tech safe and secure. That includes offering tips to avoid trouble before it appears—like these signs of a scam. Keep an eye out for these clues, and they may tip you off to potential scam calls. And remember: not every suspicious call will show up as “Scam Likely.”  


• “Unknown Caller” message: If your caller ID says “Unknown Caller,” be cautious about answering. Unknown calls often come from scammers. 

• Suspicious greetings or impersonations: Be wary of calls or messages that don’t sound right.
• They may be from a fraudulent caller. Some scammers may even impersonate someone you know, or an authority figure. 

• Unexpected area or country codes: Unless you’re expecting a call from out of town, beware of calls from states or countries you don’t typically hear from.  

• Unfamiliar numbers on Caller ID: If the number isn’t in your contacts or you don’t recognize it, it may be a spam caller. Screen the call to see who is calling. That includes unfamiliar numbers with your area code.  

• Unfamiliar numbers with your area code: Scammers often try to get people to pick up by using a number with the same area code. Beware of unfamiliar numbers, wherever they come from. 

Verizon Mobile Protect and Call Filter Plus  

If you’re a Verizon Mobile Protect subscriber, you receive Call Filter Plus as an included benefit. Call Filter is a downloadable application, and the easiest, best way for Verizon users to screen and automatically block incoming spam calls.  


Call Filter Plus has all the screening and blocking features available with the standard Verizon Call Filter App. It also includes an additional Caller ID feature that can put a name to Unknown Callers, plus spam and risk meters so you can make threat assessments in real-time. Find out more about about Verizon Call Filter Plus here.  

How to block Scam Likely calls 

If you see a "Scam Likely" message, or a similar warning (like “Suspected Spam,” “Spam Likely,” or “Spam Risk”) on your caller ID during an incoming call, don’t answer it. Instead, try blocking the number. 


You can block individual numbers on an iPhoneⓇ (or Android™) device yourself using built-in device settings, including ones marked “Scam Likely” and ones that have previously contacted you.  


Note that this is only applicable to callers with visible numbers. You can’t block (or identify) unknown callers on an iPhone device, unless you use an application like Verizon’s Call Filter.  

How to block scam numbers on an iPhone: 

1. Open the Phone application. 
2. Select All, then find the Scam Likely call in your Call Log. 
3. Tap the circular “i” icon next to the number. 
4. Scroll down, then tap Block this Caller.   
5. On the menu that pops up, select Block Contact.  

Blocking scam numbers on Android 

The steps required will be different depending on what kind of phone you have. 


How to block scam numbers on a Google Pixel^™: 

1. Open your Phone app.  
2. Tap the Recent tab.  
3. Press and hold the number you’d like to block.  
4. Tap Block/Report Spam.  


How to block scam numbers on Samsung: 

1. Open the Phone app.  
2. Scroll to Recents. 
3. Select the number you want to block.  
4. Tap the Information icon, then tap Block. 

We hope this guide has been helpful! Remember, if you’re looking for more help with scam calls, or any other tech issue, Verizon Security Advisor experts are here for you. Help is just a call or click away.