Businesses Warned About Recent Toll Fraud

February 1, 2011

istock fraud 2010Yesterday [Jan 31] the Ministry of Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy met with the Telecommunications Service Providers to discuss the recent spate of fraud being perpetrated on PBX telecommunications systems on the Island.

Acting Director of Telecommunications Ms Maxanne Anderson said, “We have been advised of recent Toll Fraud – very similar to the incidents of April 2009 – when international long distance fraud perpetrators accessed telephone systems in Bermuda by making multiple long distance calls to foreign countries and running up large numbers of long distance minutes.”

This fraud involves unknown persons or organizations hacking into a customer’s telephone voicemail systems and dialling out to international destinations with the charges accruing to the Bermuda customer’s long distance account. This criminal activity is not limited to particular telephone equipment manufacturers, equipment suppliers, or local or long distance service providers. The Bermuda Police have been alerted to this fraudulent activity.

The Department of Telecommunications “advises businesses to examine their long distance telephone bills for unauthorised calls or any unusual call activity to foreign destinations and advise their service providers accordingly. In addition, businesses can help protect themselves from fraud on their telephone systems’ voicemail and remote access by ensuring that all employees use passcodes that are secure and changed frequently. ”

“Fraud is a crime and it is advised that if you are concerned that you may be a victim of this type of fraud or wish to verify the integrity of your PBX voicemail system, please contact your telephone equipment provider to ensure that the risk of fraud is minimized.”

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Comments (6)

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  1. itwasn't me says:

    ah 1980′s college daze…..I recall certain groups of students had ‘magic numbers’ to call home. First dial a big company phone number (Boeing, NEC, Northrop) then punch in a series of ‘random’ numbers and # signs, you magically received dial tone to call Saudi, Nigeria, Japan, Russia, Tanzania, etc. etc. etc.

    Didn’t know until after graduating and working in the business how they were able to do this. Wouldn’t be surprised if these guys were never caught.

    • College Graduate says:

      Been there done that as recent as 08…and you keep using the number until it doesnt work anymore…as well as pass it along to friends

      • itwasn't me says:

        LOL good to know young eager minds usually end up writing source code for the same companies they hecked in college

  2. Robert Daniels says:

    You know who should be brought up on fraud charges. some of the I.S.P’s or (Internet Service Provider’s) I pay my $99.00 for a 4MB connection. I may get 3.3 or 3.5 mb at the beginning atfer calling them to come fix. This speed however may last for about a week. It then gradually drops to 1-1.5MB speed very seldomly does it go past 2mb. So what am I supposed to do? The way I can also monitor my daily and weekly speeds is using the website http://speedtest.net/
    So telkl me what can be done about this because I am still paying my $99.00 per month.
    -fed UP

    • itwasn't me says:

      M8 you’ve been here long enough to know how Bermuda works but let me refesh your memory. SPEND A LOT, GET A LITTLE.

    • Frustrated 2 says:

      Agree 200% Rob’t … If you maybe kept a month’s worth of tests ..say 2x’s a day and took them to the CAB would they maybe help ?

      I don’t need 6 or 8 MEG I just want my 4 to work ! !

      (And when it does , it’ll almost seem like 8MEG … lol )