How Your Service Provider Can Tell You Who Called You
Your service provider — companies like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others — are not just the ones who gave you your phone number. They're also the ones who receive calls on your behalf, route them to your phone, and can provide information about the caller’s identity using modern technology.
Thanks to recent industry efforts to combat robocalls and spoofed numbers, your service provider now has the tools to tell you who actually placed a call to your number, even if the number looks fake or unfamiliar. This is made possible through a technology called STIR/SHAKEN.
What is STIR/SHAKEN?
STIR/SHAKEN is a set of protocols and procedures developed to prevent caller ID spoofing — when a scammer makes it look like their call is coming from a local or trusted number.
- STIR stands for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited.
- SHAKEN stands for Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs.
These protocols work together to digitally sign and verify caller information as a call travels across networks, ensuring that the number you're seeing matches the entity who truly originated the call.
What Happens When a Call is Made?
When a call is made in the US:
- 1. The originating carrier (the phone company of the person making the call) adds an Identity Header to the call.
- 2. This Identity Header includes a digital signature that proves:
- Who originated the call.
- What number is being used.
- What attestation level is assigned (A, B, or C).
- 3. The call is passed through the network and lands at your terminating provider — this is your carrier.
- 4. Your carrier decrypts the Identity Header using public keys published in the national STI-PA (Policy Administrator) registry.
- 5. If verified, your carrier knows:
- The real source of the call (e.g., "Bank of America", "XYZ Call Center").
- Whether the call is spoofed or trustworthy.
- Who should be held responsible if the call is fraudulent.
What Does the Identity Header Look Like?
Here is a simplified example of what an Identity Header might contain:
Identity: eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiIsInR5cCI... (JWT token) x5u=https://certs.carrier.com/cert.cer;info=<attestation>
Inside this digital token is a JWT (JSON Web Token) that encodes:
- Calling number
- Called number
- Origination timestamp
- Attestation level
- Originating carrier’s certificate URL
Your provider decodes this securely and determines if the call is trustworthy or spoofed.
Who Really Called You?
Thanks to STIR/SHAKEN, you (or your provider) can often see:
- The company that originally placed the call.
- The intermediate carrier(s) used to transmit the call.
- The level of trust (attestation) that was given to the call.
Attestation Levels:
| Attestation | Meaning | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Full attestation – the provider knows the caller and number is authorized. | ||
| B | Partial – the caller is known but may be using a number from a customer. | ||
| C | Gateway attestation – the provider doesn’t know the caller or number origin. |
If a scammer spoofs a number from your local area, your provider can now detect that the signature doesn’t match the number and mark the call as “Spam Likely” or block it entirely.
What If You’re on the Do Not Call List?
If you’ve registered your number on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, telemarketing calls are prohibited — with some exceptions (like political or charitable calls).
Thanks to STIR/SHAKEN:
- Your provider can trace who actually made the call.
- You can file a complaint with the FTC if the call violates DNC regulations.
- In certain cases, you may be eligible for financial restitution if a telemarketer broke the law and your case is validated.
Then, file a complaint here: https://www.donotcall.gov
Why This Matters
STIR/SHAKEN is not just about technology — it’s about restoring trust in phone calls and holding bad actors accountable.
With the Identity Header in place, your provider can:
- ✅ Identify and stop spoofed calls
- ✅ Label or block scam callers
- ✅ Help you pursue complaints for Do Not Call violations
- ✅ Provide transparency about the true caller identity
How You Can File a Complaint and Possibly Get Paid
If you're receiving unwanted calls — especially if you're on the National Do Not Call Registry — you're not powerless. In many cases, you may be entitled to compensation or a legal settlement if the call violates federal law.
1. Know Your Rights
Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and FTC’s Do Not Call rules:
- Telemarketers must not call numbers on the DNC list (unless exempt).
- They must not use robocalls or prerecorded messages without your consent.
- Calls must be made during legal hours and with proper identification.
- If they spoof caller ID, they are likely violating FCC rules.
Each illegal call may entitle you to $500 to $1,500 in statutory damages, depending on whether it was a willful violation.
2. Document the Call
If you believe a call was illegal or unwanted:
- Take notes of:
- The phone number shown on your caller ID.
- The date and time of the call.
- What was said or offered.
- Whether it was a live person, a robocall, or a recording.
- Save call logs from your phone.
- If your service provider supports it, check the STIR/SHAKEN verification or attestation level for the call.
3. Check If You’re On the Do Not Call Registry
You must be on the Do Not Call list to file a DNC complaint.
Check or register here: https://www.donotcall.gov
4. File a Complaint With the FTC or FCC
- FTC Complaint Form (for DNC violations):
https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ - FCC Complaint Form (for spoofing, robocalls):
https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/
These complaints help federal agencies build cases and fine illegal callers.
5. You Can Sue or Join a Class Action
If you want to pursue monetary compensation, you have two main options:
✅ File a Small Claims Lawsuit
You can sue the telemarketer or the company that hired them in small claims court.
You'll need:
- Proof that you were on the Do Not Call list.
- Evidence of the illegal call (recording, transcript, call log).
- Caller ID details and, if available, STIR/SHAKEN traceback info.
Damages are:
- $500 per violation
- Up to $1,500 per call if proven intentional
Some consumers have won thousands of dollars by pursuing repeat offenders.
✅ Join a Class Action Lawsuit
Many law firms handle TCPA class actions. You don’t need to file anything yourself — just sign up if a law firm is building a case against a caller who contacted you.
You may receive a settlement payout if the case succeeds.
Track active class actions here:
https://www.classaction.org/
Tools and Resources
Here are helpful resources to track, trace, and report illegal calls:
- 🔎 Call Transparency Lookup:
Ask your provider if they offer STIR/SHAKEN info for received calls. - 📝 Free DNC Registration & Lookup:
https://www.donotcall.gov - ⚖️ TCPA Law Firms:
Search online for “TCPA lawyer near me” or “Robocall settlement attorney”.
How Peeringhub Can Help
Peeringhub is a phone number provider — not a call delivery carrier. As such, Peeringhub does not carry or terminate your voice traffic.
This means Peeringhub cannot:
- Determine who actually placed a call.
- Trace the network path that a call took.
- Judge whether a call was legitimate or fraudulent.
However, Peeringhub can and will disclose:
- The verified business entity that rented a number hosted on Peeringhub.
- The call records (CDRs) of inbound traffic delivered to the customer's endpoint.
- The contact information and billing details of the customer who rented the number.
Peeringhub can aid you in your filing of a complaint by providing the identity and contact of the customer who rented the specific phone numbers, as well as the billing information and inbound call log. We will aid you in strengthening your case by providing the information you need.
❌ Important: Peeringhub cannot investigate who made a specific call — spoofing techniques make it easy for bad actors to fake caller IDs. The only reliable method for identifying the true source is examining the STIR/SHAKEN Identity Header attached to the call by the originating provider.
If you're investigating a call received through a Peeringhub-hosted number:
- Ask for STIR/SHAKEN headers from your terminating provider.
- Use that data to trace back the originating entity.
- Peeringhub will cooperate by identifying the number lessee and delivery logs.
Identify Unwanted Callers
Your phone service provider now plays a crucial role in protecting your privacy and your time. Whether you’re a consumer or a business, understanding how STIR/SHAKEN works can help you make informed decisions and take action against fraud and spam.
Illegal robocalls and unwanted telemarketing calls are more than just annoying — they’re against the law. With STIR/SHAKEN technology, identity headers, and your rights under the TCPA, you can fight back.
If you’re receiving unwanted calls or think your number has been misused, don’t hesitate to reach out to your carrier’s support and consider filing a formal complaint via the FTC Do Not Call website.
If you act, you might get compensated, and your action could help stop the caller from harassing others.
Together, we can push for a safer, more trustworthy telephone network.