Why Caller ID Shows the Wrong Name and How to Fix It

You call a customer. You need them to answer. But instead of seeing your trusted business name, they see an outdated, truncated, or wrong name or worse, a suspicious label like “Spam Likely.” 

If this is happening to your business, the problem isn’t your phone system; it’s the outdated technology your calls are relying on. Here is why traditional caller ID is obsolete and how First Orion’s modern communication suite, INFORM^® Branded Calling and AFFIRM™ Reputation Monitoring, gives you control over your customer calls. 

Why Your Traditional Caller ID (CNAM) is No Longer Relevant  

For decades, the telecom industry relied on CNAM (Caller Name) databases to display a name on a customer’s phone. CNAM was a functional solution for landlines, but it is fundamentally broken for the modern mobile era for several critical reasons: 

1. Fragmentation and Inconsistency: CNAM data is stored across multiple, decentralized databases that carriers may or may not subscribe to. Depending on which database the receiving carrier queries, the name displayed to your customer can be inconsistent, outdated, or incorrect. 
2. Character Limits: CNAM is severely limited, often only allowing 15 characters to display your business name. Your full brand name might get chopped off. 
3. Mobile Blind Spots: CNAM was built for landlines. Many mobile carriers do not support CNAM lookups on the display screen or treat it as a premium feature. This means a vast percentage of your customers see nothing but a number or a carrier-assigned tag. 
4. No Fraud Protection: CNAM has zero mechanisms to verify the caller’s identity, making it a prime target for call spoofing, where fraudsters illegally impersonate your business name. 

The Modern Fix: INFORM Branded Calling  

INFORM Branded Calling is the true next-generation solution, giving you direct control over how your brand appears on the customer’s mobile device screen. INFORM is better and more reliable than CNAM because it works directly on the carrier network, bypassing the antiquated database system. 

What INFORM Offers: 

Feature	CNAM	INFORM
Name Length	Max 15 characters, often truncated	Up to 32 characters for your full name
Delivery	Inconsistent, only on some landlines/mobile	Reliable across all major U.S. mobile carriers
Context	Name only	Name, Logo, and Reason for Calling
Security	None (easy to spoof)	Optional Call Authentication

 

Advanced Security: The Power of Call Authentication 

In a world rife with spoofing, simply displaying a name isn’t enough; you need verification. That’s why First Orion offers advanced Call Authentication as an optional layer to INFORM. 

Why Call Authentication is a Must-Have: 

• Advanced Security: This feature ensures that the branded display (your name/logo) only appears on calls that are confirmed to be coming from your business’s network. If a fraudster tries to spoof your number, their call will be stripped of your brand and delivered as an unverified number. 
• True End-to-End Authentication: Unlike standard regulatory frameworks (like STIR/SHAKEN), which verify a call’s transit between carriers, First Orion’s full solution can provide end-to-end authentication. This means the call is authenticated from the moment it leaves your system until it hits the customer’s device, giving you and your customers maximum confidence. 

Protecting Your Identity: AFFIRM Reputation Monitoring 

Even with the best branded calling, your numbers can still be mistakenly tagged as “Spam” or “Scam Likely” by independent analytics providers. This is where AFFIRM™ Reputation Monitoring becomes essential. 

A Breakdown of AFFIRM: 

• Continuous Monitoring: AFFIRM actively monitors how your outbound calls are being displayed across the three major U.S. mobile carriers. 
• Alerts: You receive alerts via the Customer Portal any time one of your legitimate business numbers is tagged as spam or scam. 
• Actionable Data: This monitoring gives you the data needed to identify a problem number, adjust your calling practices, and execute the remediation process with carriers, preventing widespread damage. 

Get Started 

Don’t let outdated technology or bad actors control your customer interactions. Take charge of your calls with the security and consistency of First Orion’s solutions.   

Ready to ensure every customer call is answered with confidence? Start here.