Spam calls getting through

Yes, it's because of the FCC ruling for phone companies to identify calls they think are spam. It's called Stir/Shaken if you'd like to look it up. That would be totally different than your phone set up to block unknown calls. 

Yes, I know a little about Stir/Shaken, but my question is why do unknown calls (including spam) still ring on my AT&T phone (voice over IP with Suddenlink) when I have the "Block Unknown Calls" option selected. In theory, only calls in my Directory or Allow lists should ring. All others should be blocked. I put this in place for my 90 y.o. mother who answers her phone anytime it rings and gets scammed.

Like I said in your phones smart call blocker, block unknown calls is different than calls coming in with a caller ID and a state that state possible spam. Unknown call are calls where the caller has blocked their outgoing caller ID and no information is sent. 

Just FYI the phone is not a VoIP phone, it's just a plain ol' phone that plugs into a regular wall jack or the ATA on a modem using digital service, in your case Suddenlink. A VoIP phone plugs into an Ethernet port on a modem. 

Does anyone else have insight here? It was my understanding that there was a setting on AT&T phones with Smart Call Block that would block ALL calls except those that are saved in the Directory or Allow lists. On my phone, the profile options are:

* Block unknown

* Screen unknown

* Screen Robot

* Allow unknown

* UnknownToAns.S

When I first got the phone it seemed to work great. But lately, spam calls are getting around the Smart Call Block

The directions state that if "I want to block any home calls from numbers not saved in the Directory, Allow list, or Star name list", I should select the "Block Unknown" profile, which is what I've done. But, calls still get through.

 https://manuals.plus/at-t/introducing-smart-call-blocker-manual#ixzz7aeU3NMvq

Manual for CL82XX9 smart call blocker starts on page 70 you need to read it carefully to fully understand how it works. 

I'm not sure why you keep giving me unhelpful answers, though I trust you are trying to help. I have read the manual, I do understand how it works and I have set it up correctly. What I don't understand is why the block functions is not as effective or consistent as it should be.

To give a simple example: with the "block unknown calls" profile selected, I tried calling the phone from my work cell (which is NOT saved in the Allow list or Directory list) and the call was blocked as it should be (it did not ring and on my end I heard a message accurately indicating that Smart Call Block was being used on the line). But for some reason, when certain spam calls come in, they ring instead of being blocked. It is that inconsistency which I am trying to resolve. But I can call AT&T tomorrow.

Hi dpmac, thank you for reaching out.

Have you reached out to Suddenlink to see if there's a service feature available that will allow you to block spam calls?

Aminah, AT&T Community Specialist

OK, let's start over. You state you're sure you have this set correctly. The only other thing I can think of is could it be the calls getting through are spoofed numbers that are in your directory or other allow list? Or maybe a spoofed name that's in your star name list? If none of these are why the calls are getting through, then you have the right idea to call the AT&T number in the first few pages of the manual.