Key Takeaways:
- Fraud makes consumers wary of answering phone calls
- Canada’s cross-border call authentication helps restore call trust
- 85% of consumers stay loyal to businesses verifying calls and displaying brand
- Canada/US model serves as blueprint for other countries
In an era when AI-powered fraud and deepfakes are blurring the line between real and phony, consumers are increasingly wary of answering their phones. Spoofed calls and impersonation scams have triggered a full-blown trust crisis in voice communication, leaving businesses scrambling to reconnect with customers.
But a breakthrough in cross-border call authentication is changing the game — starting in Canada. It’s not just about restoring trust — it’s about redefining how voice communications works in a digital-first, fraud-aware world.
The problem: Calls can’t be trusted
The core issue is stark: Recipients of phone calls don’t reliably trust who’s calling them. Fraudsters exploit this vulnerability by spoofing legitimate numbers, impersonating trusted entities and tricking consumers into sharing sensitive information or making financial transactions.
To combat this, regulators in the US mandated communications service providers (CSPs) implement the STIR/SHAKEN call authentication protocol, a framework that uses digital certificates to sign and verify calls. This ensures a caller ID hasn’t been tampered with, laying the groundwork for advanced services like branded calling and spoofed call protection. However, until recently, STIR/SHAKEN was limited by geography — calls authenticated in one country couldn’t be verified in another.
Canada’s breakthrough in cross-border call authentication
That all changed in 2021 when TransUnion® announced CSPs in Canada using its Caller ID Authentication solution could now originate and verify international calls between the US and Canada.
This milestone was made possible through TransUnion’s partnership with the Canadian Secure Token-Governance Authority Inc. (CST-GA) — which oversees STIR/SHAKEN implementation in Canada. CST-GA selected TransUnion as both the Policy Administrator and an STI Certification Authority, giving it a central role in securing Canadian voice communications.
TELUS leads the way with Branded Call Display
One of the early adopters of TransUnion’s solution is Canadian telecom provider TELUS. TELUS recently launched TransUnion Branded Call Display (BCD), a product that shows verified caller information — including the business name, logo and call reason — on the recipient’s mobile device.
“In today's digital world, Canadians deserve confidence in who's calling them,” said Kal Amery, Vice President, Global Carrier Solutions at TELUS. “By implementing TransUnion Branded Call, Display, we're not just displaying caller information, we're verifying business identity in real time.”
Read the TransUnion-TELUS partnership blog.
Consumer sentiment reinforces authentication need
TransUnion’s recent Canadian consumer survey revealed compelling insights, including:
- 77% of consumers said the phone channel remains important for business communication
- 67% admitted to ignoring calls because they assume they’re spam
- 85% said they’re more likely to stay loyal to businesses that verify their calls and display branded information
These numbers underscore a growing demand for secure and transparent communication. Businesses that fail to adapt are not only at risk of losing customer trust — but of seeing revenue decrease.
How call authentication works
Call authentication establishes a chain of trust from the originating caller to the recipient. Using STIR/SHAKEN, enterprises can digitally sign outbound calls, which are then verified by the recipient’s network. This ensures branded calling is secure — where verified businesses can display their identities and call purposes — increasing the likelihood of calls being answered.
Read the TransUnion blog: What is the caller authentication process? And watch the video.
Spoofed call protection and AI-powered fraud detection
Beyond branded calling, spoofed call protection blocks fraudulent calls before they can reach consumers. This is critical because otherwise, the burden falls on the mobile subscriber to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent calls — a task that’s becoming increasingly difficult to effectively manage.
Advanced tools also now leverage AI and machine learning to detect fraud patterns in real time. In addition, natural language processing (NLP) and voice biometrics can analyze speech behavior, helping identify impersonation attempts and deepfake audio.
Global call authentication: A shared mission
The vision for STIR/SHAKEN has always been global. Fraud doesn’t respect borders, and businesses operate internationally. However, implementing call authentication across countries is complex due to differing privacy laws, data governance and telecom regulations.
Still, the Canada/US model offers a blueprint. By adopting and adapting this framework, other countries can move closer to achieving the universal goal of restoring trust in voice communications.
Watch Jon Peterson’s videos on international call authentication to explore the global implications.
The road ahead: Trust, technology and transformation
As AI continues to evolve, so too must our defenses. The combination of end-to-end call authentication, branded calling and AI-driven fraud detection represents a powerful toolkit for protecting consumers and empowering businesses.
TransUnion’s leadership in Canada is a case study in how technology, regulation and industry collaboration can come together to solve a global problem. By expanding these efforts internationally, we can build a future where consumers feel safer answering their phones — and businesses can confidently make stronger connections with their customers.
