You’ve secured your data network. How secure is your voice network?
What is toll fraud?
Toll fraud is unauthorised access to your phone system by fraudsters who run up huge costs in international calls for unsuspecting owners.
Costs associated with calls placed on your phone lines are your responsibility, regardless of whether they are authorised or not.
Warning signs to look out for
- Calls you don’t recognise on your telephone bill.
- Increase in calls after business hours.
- Phone lines in use for extended periods when no one else is on the phone.
- Unusual level of incoming calls from the same source, possibly automated call trying to get answered by a mailbox.
Follow these 10 simple tips to safeguard your business from toll fraud.
10 tips for toll fraud prevention
- Barr international calling if your company does not need it. If international calling is required, your system should allow you to block certain country and city code combinations.
- Change your phone system & voicemail passwords regularly and don’t use obvious combinations such as 1234 or your extension number.
- Even during company business hours limit system and remote access to authorised personnel only
- Restrict all outbound after-hours calling.
- Educate your employees. If they receive suspicious calls requesting transfers or passwords, they should redirect the call to the phone system administrator or other knowledgeable individual.
- If the voicemail on your phone system allows out-dialing functionality and your company doesn’t need it, turn it off and change your passwords.
- Review your bills each month. Do they show normal calling patterns?
- Ensure former employees do not have access to the phone system and disable mailboxes and remove all access to outgoing employees immediately.
- Make sure your phone and voicemail systems are up-to-date and that all current software patches have been installed.
- Never publish any phone numbers that could provide direct access to your system (DISA).Change your DISA numbers periodically and issue a different DISA authorization code for all users. Warn users to never write down their authorization codes.
If you require more information on toll fraud or would like a free audit contact Dalycom to make sure your phone system is secure.
