Dimension Data develops anti-fraud solution for telcos

Dimension Data has developed a comprehensive fraud prevention and revenue assurance solution for start-up and growing telecommunications operators, in both the fixed-line and mobile arena.

Called iBOSS Guardian, the solution offers speedy detection of usage fraud and revenue assurance anomalies, for prepaid and postpaid (contract) services, making it ideal for African and other developing regions.

According to Sean Taylor, general manager of Dimension Data SPS in South Africa, independent studies have shown that fraud can cost the telecommunications industry as much as 5% of its turnover.

"In addition to the direct loss of revenue, telecommunications fraud causes a ripple effect throughout the organisation. It can result in network congestion, a need for more employees to handle customer care and billing, additional payment to carriers and interconnect partners, and unwelcome publicity as a result of involvement in legal action," he adds.

iBOSS Guardian provides a single, converged, real-time system not only for detecting, but also for managing fraud and revenue assurance.

Fraud detection capacities include clip-on or teeing-in on fixed-line networks; premium rate service abuse on both mobile and fixed-line networks; call forwarding abuse; stolen lines; subscription fraud for both mobile and fixed-line networks, MSISDN and IMSI pair manipulation and calling card fraud.

MSISDN is the directory number or service number, used in the billing system, which is allocated to the customer by the GSM network operator or service provider. The IMSI is the number by which a GSM user is identified in the switching network - it is hard coded into a SIM card and cannot be edited. The IMSI and MSISDN are paired so that calls made by the network and recognised by the IMSI can be allocated to the party to be charged - the MSISDN. Fraudsters colluding with network personnel change the pairing in the system by changing the MSISDN so that it is not recognised in the billing system as a postpaid service (hence no bills) and so that it is not recognised as a prepaid service either.

Fraud detection methods that consider the calling patterns of residential, business and corporate sectors have been used in the solution. These are aligned with the network`s business processes.

However, Dimension Data has also taken cognisance of the fact that not all revenue loss is due to malicious actions. Sometimes it could be the result of an inadvertent fault such as accidental incorrect configuration of switching or mediation platforms. iBOSS Guardian is designed to detect these problems too.

It can also be used to monitor the rebates granted to prepaid customers by service agents, as well as the incidents of voucher loads on behalf of customers or irregular values being credited to a prepaid balance - all indications of staff collusion in fraud.

"In effect, iBOSS Guardian will help operators to align detection with their network`s business processes, reducing the time to fraud detection and improving the ratio of confirmed-to-suspected fraud cases.

"In addition, it will help to decrease bad debt levels, detect previously unnoticed fraud and detect anomalies in usage data as a result of internal fraud or incorrect system configuration.

"As importantly, the system is affordable for small, medium and start-up operators - and its modular design means it can be quickly installed and enhanced as the operation grows," Taylor concludes.