Protecting Brand Trust in the Age of Scams

By Nesia Dotson
First Orion Associate Director of Product Marketing

Protecting an established brand is a never-ending task. To many, the brand is simply the name and logo they see. However, a business’s brand is also the reputation and trust built over time through the consistency and reliability that customers feel. 

The Threat of Scam Calls 

Businesses rely on phone calls to make lasting impressions along the customer journey. Unfortunately, scammers are imposing on both inbound and outbound voice communication channels. A trusted brand that took years to build can be ruined in minutes by scammers. 

First Orion’s Mission 

First Orion’s mission of protecting businesses and consumers from bad actors continues to evolve as the scope of fraudulent activity grows. This is why First Orion offers a variety of products for companies to help identify their legitimate business calls and secure their communication channels, creating holistic solutions that meet the needs of every segment of business. 

The Cost of Fraudulent Calls 

What was once simple math to calculate operational costs of agents taking calls has now spiraled to account for agents distracted by inbound scam and spam calls. This problem leaves customers and prospects waiting for the next available agent. 

Here’s where First Orion’s PROTECT+ Risk Detection can provide relief and operational savings. 

How PROTECT+ Works 

With PROTECT+, First Orion partners directly with the business to combat fraudulent activity. Using a REST API, the company sends incoming call information to First Orion. First Orion then uses various data points — including our Advice-of-Risk database, invalid logic, and call category information — to advise the business of a call’s level of risk for suspicious activity. 

This call-by-call analysis empowers the business to determine how a risky call should be treated using their existing calling platform. The reliability of a real-time solution is more important than ever. Consider how impactful call treatment options — like blocking or terminating high-risk calls or warning agents of medium-risk calls — can be for operational efficiency. PROTECT+ helps mitigate fraudulent activity in the calling queue in real time. 

A Connected Approach to Solutions 

If the real-time reliability and data-driven benefits aren’t enough to convince a business to choose PROTECT+, the availability of other complementary products from First Orion should help. Business goals and market challenges demand interconnected solutions. Too often, businesses reactively respond to challenges with piecemeal fixes — sometimes from multiple providers. 

Since 2008, First Orion has developed and evolved solutions that identify the calling party and provide real-time call security. All solutions are accessible in First Orion’s unified Customer Portal, making it easy for businesses to manage their calling solutions and the phone numbers that use them. 

As an industry leader, First Orion also offers first-class customer support. Choosing a provider like First Orion for interconnected solutions allows businesses the convenience of a single point of contact for support. 

Call Authentication in Action 

Unfortunately, spam and scam calls are pain points for businesses, consumers, and mobile carriers. Solutions for fraud and nuisance calls in the voice channel require integration into the network, covering both inbound and outbound protection. 

Network integration allows businesses to see the call happening in real time and identify the originator and recipient. First Orion’s Call Authentication feature, included in the delivery of our call blocking and logo products, accomplishes this by providing true end-to-end authentication. 

SENTRY and INFORM with Logo 

Call Authentication is the vehicle that delivers the security of SENTRY® Call Blocking and INFORM® with Logo. It verifies the legitimacy of the call happening in the network in real time. Once authenticated, the call is branded with the business’s logo. If not authenticated, the call is blocked — either way, creating security for both the consumer and the network. 

It’s important to note that call treatment of authenticated calls, whether blocking or branding, depends on the purchase and program setup of INFORM with Logo and SENTRY Call Blocking. 

First Orion understands that every business has different needs, which is why we offer multiple branding solutions. INFORM with Logo is an enhanced branding experience offering the ability to display a business’s logo and reason for calling alongside the business name. Additionally, INFORM with Logo includes the added security of Call Authentication. 

By analyzing pre-call activity, First Orion verifies the outbound calling number, the phone number being called, and the specific time of the call to ensure the brand, logo, and reason for calling appear only on authenticated calls. 

Outbound Security with SENTRY 

Where PROTECT+ provides inbound security, SENTRY Call Blocking provides outbound security. SENTRY secures a business’s inventory of outbound calling numbers. Fraudsters often spoof business numbers to trick consumers into answering a recognized phone number. 

SENTRY technology verifies the authenticity of outbound calls in real time. Here’s how it works: 

• Using a REST API, the business sends First Orion its calling details, including the phone number being called and the time the call is scheduled. 

• First Orion generates a unique key. 

• When the business makes the call, that unique key is sent to the recipient’s carrier. 

• If the key is validated, the call is delivered. If not, the call is blocked — preventing spoofed calls from ever reaching consumers. 

Easy Integration Across Platforms 

Integrating First Orion’s Call Authentication into your calling strategy provides a direct path to INFORM with Logo and SENTRY Call Blocking. 

We know research is part of the buying process, so businesses can view published specs for each solution. First Orion also makes products accessible across platforms such as Amazon Connect, Vonage, and Twilio. Support teams are available to explore different configurations in our developer portal 

Building Trust Through Branded Calling 

Together, INFORM Branded Calling and SENTRY Call Blocking help businesses make secure connections with a lasting brand impression. Businesses experience the impact of First Orion’s mission of call transparency and protection against bad actors. 

Why Security Is a Business Necessity 

The business justification is in the numbers. Billions of dollars are lost due to unanswered calls and fraudulent activity. This forces businesses to decide whether to take proactive measures to protect communication channels now or pay the unexpected costs of fraud later. 

The ROI is clear. Quantitatively, First Orion customers compare their operational costs and fraud losses to the cost of branded calling and call security — often finding the solutions pay for themselves. Qualitatively, customers share how the quality of their call interactions has improved because their customers are engaging in calls they trust. 

About Nesia Dotson 

Nesia Dotson is the Associate Director of Product Marketing at First Orion, where she leads go-to-market strategies, messaging, and positioning for cutting-edge communication solutions. With over 18 years of diverse experience, she blends deep expertise in telecom, operations, and leadership to drive initiatives that resonate with customers and deliver business impact.