The fight against bypass fraud on international calls

The ARPT’s antifraud operations make it possible to arrest illegal operators in Guinea-Conakry

The fight against bypass fraud is a crucial issue for telecom regulators in Africa. A growing number of individuals hope to benefit from the growing penetration of both the mobile and Internet on the continent, despite the fact that they do not hold a license. Attracted by the opportunities this technological boom is providing, these illegal operators divert international calls entering Guinea for their own benefit. Regulators are therefore faced with the challenging task of protecting consumers against fraud while helping legal operators to prevent any international traffic loss that may be caused by fraudsters.

In Guinea, the Regulatory Authority for Post and Telecommunications (ARPT) found in the telecommunications company Global Voice Group S.A. (GVG) a reliable and efficient partner in the fight against fraud. By installing the antifraud system provided by GVG, by intensifying its BTS localization strategy and by urging operators to inform it of the whereabouts of fraud hotspots – in accordance with GVG’s recommendations –, the ARPT was recently able to arrest three illegal operators of Lebanese origin.

Indeed, those three individuals, who were accused of illegally terminating international incoming calls in Guinea, were arrested by security agents of the ARPT on Friday 20 January 2012.

During the arrest, the agents discovered sophisticated equipment, which the criminals used to run their illegal business: laptops, hundreds of Areeba top-up cards and SIM cards, as well as SIM Boxes. According to one of the agents, one can emit 416 calls using a SIM Box, thanks to the 416 SIM cards it contains. “Often, when you receive calls from abroad, local numbers are displayed on the screen of your mobile. They are the ones at the origin of this traffic”, the agent added.

African Telecom regulators are therefore not alone in their fight against fraud. As the Guinean example shows, antifraud systems are available which allow regulators to detect and counteract illegal networks, thus allowing them to ensure that the benefits of mobile penetration in Africa are reaped by those who should be reaping them, that is to say governments, operators and of course consumers.

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