Voice Fraud & Compliance Wiki

    Call Authentication

    Attestation Levels (A, B, C)

    The three confidence levels an originating carrier assigns when signing a call, describing how well it knows the customer and their right to use the calling number.

    A attestation (Full) means the provider authenticated the customer and confirmed they are authorized to use the calling number. B attestation (Partial) means the provider authenticated the customer but cannot confirm the number belongs to them. C attestation (Gateway) means the provider is simply passing along a call it received from elsewhere, typically an international gateway, and knows nothing about the origin.

    Attestation is asserted by the originating provider, not verified by anyone downstream. That is why analytics engines treat C-attested traffic with suspicion and why heavy C volumes attract regulatory attention.

    Why it matters to carriers

    Persistently signing B or C when you could sign A depresses your call completion and answer rates. Signing A for traffic you have not properly vetted exposes you to enforcement when that traffic turns out to be illegal.

    Handling attestation levels (a, b, c) on your own switch

    SipShield scores live SIP traffic with patented AI so the controls behind this term run automatically — and leave the audit trail regulators expect.