Fraud has a direct effect on the entire ecosystem so it’s critical that we work together to fight it. At International Telecoms Week (ITW) in May, Daniel Kurgan, CEO of BICS, began his keynote speech at the session “Driving the Industry Agenda” stating that fraud costs the telecoms industry $17 billion every year.
The keynote discussed the ITW Global Leaders’ Forum (GLF) and i3forum’s Code of Conduct. He announced that eight more Carriers have signed up to the Code to combat fraud in the industry, joining ten others who have already signed.
BTS, Interoute, Sprint, Tele2, Telia Carrier, Telstra, MNF Group including TNZI, and Vodafone signed the Code of Conduct, joining existing participants A1 Telekom Austria, BICS, BT, Colt, Deutsche Telekom ICSS, Etisalat, HGC, Orange, PCCW Global, Telefónica and Türk Telekom International.
The Code of Conduct was launched by the GLF in partnership with i3forum in March 2018. It was developed to give all players across the global Carrier ecosystem steps for protecting their businesses and preventing fraudsters from profiting from criminal activity.
The session led by the GLF members, including Daniel Kurgan, discussed how the GLF are driving the industry agenda of ensuring interoperability and ubiquitous connectivity. It’s industry groups like i3forum and the GLF that have been effective in accelerating widespread industry transformation.
We’ve made progress in defining fraud and identifying best practices in dealing with cases of fraud. Our collaboration with the GLF on the Code of Conduct, along with participation from players across the industry is critical for driving its adoption on a global scale.
The Code of Conduct is a great starting point for fighting Voice fraud but it’s important that Carriers across the ecosystem get involved and want to sign up. It’s in our best interest if we can get all players from across the industry working together. Creating that kind of momentum will actively drive change.
The discussion concluded with the GLF inviting all interested wholesale Carriers from around the world to step-up and sign the Code.
Across the global Carrier ecosystem, we must agree to fight fraud and take a new approach that will have a lasting impact on our businesses. Going it alone is no longer an option. We must work together if we are to truly tackle fraud. Otherwise, we face an international wholesale market where fraud is a continued barrier to the growth and success of our businesses.
It’s only by working together that we can get results.
Read the full Code of Conduct and the list of Carriers pledged to follow the principles at:
If you are interested in signing the Code of Conduct and joining the fight against Voice fraud get in touch:
The Fight Against Fraud i3forum workgroup is collaborating to combat growing fraud issues. We’re working together to ensure the profitability of not just our businesses but for Voice businesses around the world, complimenting the security measures that operators and OTTs implement. We want more people to get involved as it makes us stronger and better able to tackle fraud.
Join us here: www.i3forum.org/join-us