UK ranked biggest target for telecoms fraud
The UK has been ranked as the world’s biggest target for fraudulent telecoms traffic, according to data from BICS which points to over 25 million fraudulent call attempts to the UK in 2018 alone.
Criminals are exploiting weaknesses in the UK's phone numbering system to generate huge profits, says the firm.
The findings gathered from BICS’ FraudGuard platform, which crowdsources and anonymises intelligence from over 900 service providers, highlights the scale of the challenge facing operators throughout the world.
In the last year alone, BICS has identified and blocked more than 170 million fraudulent call attempts to hundreds of destinations.
The UK suffers most heavily, as 15% of the total global fraud calls – 25 million – were aimed at the country.
According to the Risk and Assurance Group (RAG), the UK is the only G20 country in the fraud termination top 10.
The UK’s telecoms fraud problem may be partly attributed to regulation, management and ownership of phone numbers, which is not as strictly controlled as in some other regions.
It is relatively easy to purchase personal telephone numbers beginning ‘070’, which usually have higher termination rates than mobile numbers beginning ‘07’.
Many service providers are unable to distinguish this number’s premium rate from the standard rate of a regular mobile number. This makes it easy for fraudsters to exploit telecoms carriers by generating a profit from the expensive termination rates associated with these numbers.
Telecoms fraud is a pervasive problem, causing an estimated annual loss of almost $30 billion, according to the most recent estimations by the Communications Fraud Control Association (CFCA).
The threat of telecoms fraud is not only costly but growing: BICS’ data reveals a 2% increase in fraudulent call attempts globally in 2018, compared to the year previously. BICS’ findings follow an announcement earlier in the year, which revealed global spam calls had grown 325% to reach 85 billion worldwide, highlighting the dual challenge facing operators.
But despite these findings, there is optimism, with knowledge-sharing amongst operators enabling the telecoms ecosystem to better protect itself against fraud; during 2018, BICS enabled operators to save over $320 million via its FraudGuard platform.
“The results from our FraudGuard platform illustrate what a persistent – and damaging – threat telecoms fraud is to the industry while continuing to prop up the serious organised crime,” said Katia Gonzalez, Head of Fraud Prevention, BICS.
“Eradicating telecoms fraud is an ongoing battle and one which will only be successfully waged with industry-wide collaboration. Sharing information and knowledge will allow the sector to take a proactive approach to minimise fraud, protecting subscribers in the UK, and globally.
“The UK is a long-suffering target of telecoms fraud, both in terms of its phone numbers being used to collect fraudulent traffic and its subscribers being targeted. Fortunately, tools are available to make its detection and prevention easier for mobile operators, allowing parties to work together against the fraudsters to protect bottom lines."
source commsdealer
Industry: Telecommunications
Latest Jobs
-
- Network & Security Consultant
- Spain
- Upto €54000 per year and benefits
-
Senior Network & Security Engineer to join a Managed Network & Security Team in Europe. In this critical role, you will: Play a pivotal role in managing and securing network infrastructure across datacenters, customer connections, and on-premise deployments. Proactively monitor network and security devices, analyse incidents, and implement solutions to ensure optimal performance and security. Collaborate with colleagues and customers to troubleshoot issues, troubleshoot outages, and implement effective resolutions. Lead and participate in network system installations for new facilities and expansions. Develop and maintain network infrastructure procedures, recommend technical strategies, and propose improvements to enhance network capabilities. Stay up-to-date on the latest network and security technologies and trends. Work as part of a collaborative international team, contributing to team presentations and knowledge sharing. To be successful, you'll need: Proven expertise in Cisco network solutions (CCNP R&S/Sec/Wireless preferred)for both BAU and project work. In-depth knowledge of network security principles and experience with Fortinet firewalls. Experience deploying and managing large, complex network infrastructure (routing, switching, wireless, security). Solid understanding of ITIL v3 framework for incident, change, and problem management. Excellent troubleshooting skills with experience using Wireshark or similar protocol analysers. Strong communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively.
-
- Security Analyst - Internal role. London commutable. £50,000
- London
- £50,000
-
Security Analyst - Internal role. London commutable opportunity. Operational Security - Investigate, escalate and proactively work to ensure household name remains protected. Project Security - Coordinate, log change requests with project delivery teams to meet security requirements Policy / compliance - work with team to aid in uplifting these as and where needed This role is role to investigate, escalate and proactively work to protect a globally recognised brand. You must have current hands on operational analytical security experience with Microsoft technology stack Someone with a SOC Analyst / security engineering background would be well suited. This position will join a small team and would suit someone that has broad experience across the security threat landscape. Experience / knowledge across industry GRC standards such NIST, ISO27001 etc would be advantageous. You will work across multiple teams proactively working to secure the business. Must be able to commute to Central London 3 days a week. Visa sponsorship not available Apply today to find out more.
-
- Network & Security Consultant
- Romania
- €54000 plus benefits
-
Senior Network & Security Engineer to join a Managed Network & Security Team in Europe. In this critical role, you will: Play a pivotal role in managing and securing network infrastructure across datacenters, customer connections, and on-premise deployments. Proactively monitor network and security devices, analyse incidents, and implement solutions to ensure optimal performance and security. Collaborate with colleagues and customers to troubleshoot issues, troubleshoot outages, and implement effective resolutions. Lead and participate in network system installations for new facilities and expansions. Develop and maintain network infrastructure procedures, recommend technical strategies, and propose improvements to enhance network capabilities. Stay up-to-date on the latest network and security technologies and trends. Work as part of a collaborative international team, contributing to team presentations and knowledge sharing. To be successful, you'll need: Proven expertise in Cisco network solutions (CCNP R&S/Sec/Wireless preferred) for both BAU and project work. In-depth knowledge of network security principles and experience with Fortinet firewalls. Experience deploying and managing large, complex network infrastructure (routing, switching, wireless, security). Solid understanding of ITIL v3 framework for incident, change, and problem management. Excellent troubleshooting skills with experience using Wireshark or similar protocol analysers. Strong communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively.
-
- Network & Security Consultant
- Hungary
- Upto €54000 per year and benefits
-
Senior Network & Security Engineer to join a Managed Network & Security Team in Europe. In this critical role, you will: Play a pivotal role in managing and securing network infrastructure across datacenters, customer connections, and on-premise deployments. Proactively monitor network and security devices, analyse incidents, and implement solutions to ensure optimal performance and security. Collaborate with colleagues and customers to troubleshoot issues, troubleshoot outages, and implement effective resolutions. Lead and participate in network system installations for new facilities and expansions. Develop and maintain network infrastructure procedures, recommend technical strategies, and propose improvements to enhance network capabilities. Stay up-to-date on the latest network and security technologies and trends. Work as part of a collaborative international team, contributing to team presentations and knowledge sharing. To be successful, you'll need: Proven expertise in Cisco network solutions (CCNP R&S/Sec/Wireless preferred) for both BAU and project work. In-depth knowledge of network security principles and experience with Fortinet firewalls. Experience deploying and managing large, complex network infrastructure (routing, switching, wireless, security). Solid understanding of ITIL v3 framework for incident, change, and problem management. Excellent troubleshooting skills with experience using Wireshark or similar protocol analysers. Strong communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively.