How to Prevent & Reduce Spam Calls: A Cytracom UCaaS Guide
Spam calls are a disruption to your business. By utilizing Cytracom UCaaS features, you can filter out automated dialers and unwanted solicitations without losing important messages.
Using an Auto Attendant to Stop Bots
Automated dialers cannot "listen" for prompts. By requiring a keypress, you ensure only human callers can reach your extensions.
How to Set It Up:
- Log in to the Cytracom Portal as an Admin at secure.cytracom.net.
- Click PBX, then on Auto Attendants.
- Click + New (or select an existing one to edit).
- Set the Greeting: Under the Auto Attendants tab, provide a prompt such as: "To reach our team, please press 1."
- Configure Menu Options: Set Digit 1 to Dial Extension or Ring Group (whatever your normal call routing is).
- Auto Attendant Timeout: If a bot does not press a key, the call will time out and follow the Time Out Route.
- Route Your Number: Go to Phone Numbers, select your number, and set the Destination to this Auto Attendant.
Enabling "Screen for Privacy"
This feature targets callers who intentionally hide their identity by blocking their Caller ID.
How to Set It Up:
- In the Cytracom Portal, click on PBX, then click on Phone Numbers.
- Select the specific Phone Number you wish to protect.
- Scroll down to the Features section.
- Switch the Screen for Privacy toggle to ON.
- The Result: Callers with "Anonymous" or "Restricted" IDs will hear a fast busy signal and cannot complete the call.
Configuring "Spam Guard"
Spam Guard evaluates the "reputation" of a caller. Instead of dropping the call, it sends suspected spam to a dedicated mailbox so you can still review them.
How to Set It Up:
- Log in to the secure.cytracom.net portal.
- Navigate to PBX in the top menu and click the "+" (plus) icon on the far right of the sub-menu.
- Select Global Settings.
-
Locate the Spam Guard section. Here, you can toggle
the
feature
on
or off and use the slider to adjust the filter sensitivity:
- 15–19 (High): Tightest security; higher chance of sending real calls to spam voicemail.
- 20–40 (Medium): The recommended balance for most businesses.
- 41–80 (Low): Standard filtering for high-frequency offenders.
- 81–100 (Minimal): Blocks only the most extreme malicious callers.
- Click Update General Settings to save your changes.
Accessing Spam Guard Reporting & Voicemails
If a call is flagged as spam, it is sent to the Spam Guard Mailbox. You can review these at any time:
- To view call details: Click on Voicemail in the main menu, then choose Spam Guard from the drop-down. The Reporting page will show spam call details, as well as which calls went to the Spam Guard voicemail box.
- To listen to voicemails: If you add the spam guard mailbox to an extension's list of Monitored Mailboxes, that user will be able to see and hear the spam guard voicemails along with others in the portal, desktop, and mobile apps.