ECG, a provider of VoIP solutions and integration consultancy services, integrates FraudStopper, a toll-fraud detection system, into business operations at a nationwide competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) based in New York City.
Since its deployment in June 2011, the system has detected several instances of theft of service. As a result, the CLEC was able to save tens of thousands of dollars in losses for international termination, company officials said.
VoIP Toll Fraud has been a major issue for carriers that deliver VoIP solutions to customers. The issue first became apparent in November 2010, when thieves began using the "SIPVicious" security scanning tool to search the Internet for VoIP solutions that could easily be stolen.
According to ECG, over the U.S. $1 million in international termination services have been stolen by criminals targeting VoIP solutions providers in the United States. Some individual incidents have amounted to more than $160,000.
“FraudStopper helps eliminate fraud by learning normal behavior for customers by analyzing historical billing records to determine what is routine for each individual,” said James Pucket, president of ECG. "Statistics are tracked per customer in the User Behavior Database. When international calling occurs that does not match a customer's profile, FraudStopper can detect that change and report the risk."
FraudStopper differs from traditional fraud detection systems in many aspects. This advanced solution is designed to handle the wide diversity among VoIP solutions customers, some of whom make no international calls, while others make numerous calls.
The dynamic database of FraudStopper is designed to understand weekly patterns of work. The User Behavior Database compares details from every day of the week, extending far into the past to make accurate judgments and reduce false positives.
Furthermore, FraudStopper has the ability to send alerts through e-mail and SNMP, with descriptions of the user suspected of fraud, as well as the historical profile for the user. This allows the VoIP solutions provider to immediately determine the risk and make a judgment without delay.
Additional features of FraudStopper include the SNMP trap that allows for seamless integration with network management tools such as HP OpenView and SolarWinds (News - Alert) and a real-time call progress monitor that can receive input data from practically any source.
Rajani Baburajan is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Rajani's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by Jamie Epstein