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MTN curbs SMS fraud

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 19 Oct 2011

Following an inundation of customer complaints regarding unsolicited spam messages and content, MTN yesterday introduced a solution to curb SMS fraud.

According to MTN, a number of customers have lodged complaints concerning wireless application service providers (Wasps) that have been billing them for services they did not sign up for.

Legitimate South African Wasps in turn complained about their inability to compete against these 'grey' SMS routes.

Victims of such spurious activity, says MTN, have been swindled out of airtime amounting to up to R75 per minute and 34 cents per SMS.

Kevin Jacobson, GM of Business Indirect at MTN SA, says the cellphone operator has introduced a solution that will filter out unsolicited SMSes before they are forwarded to its client base.

“This is the first proactive initiative of its kind in SA, and it addresses an issue that is currently affecting all local cellular networks. We hope this solution will go a long way towards alleviating the frustrations our customers have been experiencing.”

MTN says it is expected that this move may create a stir in the market, because some businesses are purchasing bulk SMSes, unaware that 'grey' routes are being utilised in their implementation.

Earlier this year, MTN warned its customers about a growing scam in which a customer receives an SMS requesting them to call a certain number.

“Upon calling the number, the customer is diverted to an interactive voice response system, where they are kept on hold with music playing in the background, while their airtime is being used without their knowledge,” explains Jacobson.

He says this particular fraud is generally committed by international carriers seeking to increase volumes of traffic to their number. “This scam is growing and many people are being caught unawares. We wish to appeal to our subscribers to immediately delete mysterious and unknown call back messages and not to call the number in question.”

The Wireless Application Service Providers Association, which monitors bad service among mobile advertisers, has encouraged consumers to report unsolicited SMSes.

MTN says the drive to deliver a secure service will be ongoing. “By encouraging Wasps to use legitimate methods of service delivery, we strongly believe that we are not only keeping our subscriber base safe, but are also championing social change.”

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