Telephone toll fraud via PBX hacking continues to be the most popular fraud method, with an established $3.9b stolen globally. Hacking generally is set to steadily rise, especially with the adoption of M2M and the ‘Internet of things’ in our businesses and homes. Toll fraud uses sophisticated auto diallers to continuously search for weak passcodes. Once these are found, the victim’s phone is programmed to call premium rated numbers set up by the criminals who profit from the high call charges. With global fraud losses estimated at $38.1 Billion annually, it is well worth the hacker’s time to build these programmes to trawl phone systems looking for victims. With UK businesses being in the top three hardest hit by toll fraud globally, it is more important than ever to ensure we are all doing our bit to protect ourselves and our businesses. As is the case so often with IT security, obvious passcodes are the weakest link.
Is your business protected..
Human error is the key to becoming victims of toll fraud but at least it is an issue that can be easily resolved with staff awareness and organised practices. Passcodes should be changed regularly and automatically updated when employees leave a company. End-users need to be educated as to what a strong passcode is i.e. not using sequential or incremental numbers such as 111111 or 123456.
PBX Fraud is risingIf you don’t want to be one of the unlucky companies that will be victims of toll fraud, there are various ways you can proactively protect yourself. One is to set call limits on your lines so that if the spend goes over your threshold, calls will automatically be barred. Another option is to partner with a phone supplier that specialises in voice services and so professionally monitors call activity and can give best practice advice to keep you and your team safe. Some companies offer toll fraud assistance which protects you against the financial cost of toll fraud and offers additional peace of mind.
Interestingly, stats showing where the fraudulent calls terminate, show that although Cuba is the most popular country, UK is ranked at number 9 globally with 3% of toll fraudsters based in the UK. Be careful, there may be one near you!
Direct Voice & Data are communication specialists. We use our knowledge to proactively protect our customers from Toll Fraud and continuously monitor and advise on best practices to keep you, your business and your team safe.
Make sure your business is protected, talk to the experts at Direct Voice and Data to see how we can help – 0800 84 999 84
Source for statistics: Global Fraud Loss Survey 2015
