Managing Spam Calls and Blocking Numbers

Introduction to potential spam calls or texts on Spruce

Any working 10-digit number can call or text your Spruce phone number, so in the same way that it is normal to receive spam calls on your personal device, it is normal to receive spam calls on Spruce. Receiving spam calls or text messages is not indicative of any security or HIPAA risk. 

One common reason for spam calls or messages is because a purchased number was previously owned by someone else. In cases where a Spruce phone number was previously owned by someone else, we take precautions to minimize the disruption of any potential 'overlap.' Numbers are reserved for a minimum of two months before they are released to a new user. This is intended to give the number’s former owner enough time to update their records. Additionally, our telecommunication partner monitors the number of incoming phone calls during this time and may even extend the two-month reserve period until those call levels reach an acceptable rate.

Automatic Spam Call Prevention

To reduce robocalls and high-volume spam, Spruce automatically prevents certain high-risk inbound calls from ringing your Spruce number.

If a phone number has been blocked by a large number of Spruce organizations, it may be automatically identified as potential spam across the platform. When this happens:

• The call will not ring through.
• The call may be sent directly to voicemail or follow your phone number’s unknown caller handling behavior.
• If a voicemail is left, it will appear in your inbox as usual.
• If no voicemail is left, the conversation will remain archived and will not create a notification for new activity. 
• The conversation will include the tag “InboundCall_SpamDetected” and display a system message identifying the call as potential spam. 

If a legitimate caller’s number is being routed directly to voicemail, you can save that number as a contact in Spruce. Saving a number as a contact ensures future calls from that number are treated as known callers for your organization.

Blocking Phone Numbers

You may experience spam calls or messages from a phone number that has not yet been labeled by the system as spam. If this is the case, you can easily block specific phone numbers. After you block a phone number, if that number attempts to call you they will hear a busy signal. If that number attempts to text you, the text will look sent from their end but will not be delivered to your Spruce account. You will not receive any notice of attempted calls/text messages in Spruce from a number that has been blocked. If you have archived the conversation with a number you have blocked, incoming calls from that blocked number will automatically remain archived and will not appear in the Inbox. If the conversation was not previously archived you will see a record in the inbox although the call will not ring through and no voicemail will be recorded. The caller will also receive no indication that their number was blocked. 

Blocking a Phone Number

To block a phone number, click on the phone number or contact to open their contact card. Click on the 3 vertical dots next to the number you want to block and select "Block Phone Number". Once blocked, it will say “Blocked” in red text next to the number. If on mobile you open the conversation with the number and click on View to the right of Unsaved Contact or if they are a saved contact click on the "i" to open conversation details, then click on the contact under "Conversations Between" and you can block there.

Unblock a Number

Click on the contact and click on Unblock Number. Alternatively, you can head to your Settings, to Contact Settings to Phone System and there is a section there called "Blocked Numbers" that contains all blocked numbers for your organization. You can unblock here as well.

Block a Fax Number

To block a fax number, click on the fax number or contact to open their contact card. Then, click on the 3 vertical dots next to the fax number that you want to block and select “Block Fax Number”. Once it’s blocked, it will say “Blocked” in red text next to the number. 

You can also manage your list of blocked fax numbers from your Spruce settings, under “Fax”, then “Blocked Fax Numbers”.

Strategies for Spam Reduction

Beyond blocking phone numbers, there are additional ways in which you can attempt to reduce spam calls and / or lower the impact that these calls have on your daily workflows:

1. Register with the Do Not Call Registry. You can register your Spruce phone number with the Do Not Call Registry here. This is a government initiative designed to help reduce the number of unwanted phone calls to your phone number. 
2. Update your Unknown Caller Handling setting to screen and/or silence calls from unsaved contacts. Screened callers will hear a prompt and must press a digit to connect. Silenced calls will not ring through. To update this, navigate to your phone number's settings page. Learn more about this feature