Fraud control: Mobile operators united to fight against fraud

The first round table for the long-term history of mobile communications in Kyrgyzstan, devoted to the prevention of fraud, was held on May 2, 2019. The event was organized by "Alfa Telecom" CJSC (MegaCom trademark). Representatives of Nur Telecom LLC (mobile operator O!), Sky Mobile LLC (Beeline TM), KT Mobile LLC and of the Association of Telecommunication Operators were invited to the meeting.
A similar event was held within the context of improving the efficiency of cooperation between communications service providers in order to exchange valuable experience.
What is fraud? Where does it come from? And how should we fight it? Answers to these questions, as well as more detailed and useful information, will be provided today by Tynchtykbek Kalmurzaevich Samakov, the Security Director of MegaCom.
- Tynchtykbek Kalmurzaevich, tell us what is fraud?
- The term fraud when translated from English literally means "deception." As applied to mobile communications, this is a type of fraud in the field of information technology, in particular, unauthorized actions and unauthorized use of resources and services. Fraud, unfortunately, is in certain cases faced in all areas of human activity, including in the field of communication. Unlike wired communication, the peculiarity of cellular communication is that the radio channel from the mobile station to the base station in some sense facilitates the access of unauthorized people to the communication channel and, possibly, makes it invisible. Therefore, there is great temptation to cheat and as the mobile communication develops and spreads itself, there is also accompanying fraud.
- How did fraud appear on the communication services market in Kyrgyzstan?
- Intruders are constantly evolving and improving their operation schemes from year to year. Technical development of telecommunications in our country causes not only the improvement of the quality of the services provided, but also creates the conditions for origination of fraudsters trying to illegally enrich themselves by interfering in the communication services rendering process.
- Is there criminal liability or certain penalties for fraudsters?
- This activity is considered as an illegal act of interference in the activities of telecom operators causing material damage to telecom operators. The criminal legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic establishes responsibility in the form of imprisonment for a term of 2 years and more.
- Could you tell how often MegaCom has encountered fraud?
- Alfa Telecom CJSC has been providing mobile communication services in the Kyrgyz Republic for over 13 years. During this period, the company faced various manifestations of high-tech fraud threats. And it is safe to say that they were all revealed. Just from the beginning of the year, a number of measures have been taken to detain persons involved in fraud together with law enforcement agencies. Those materials are currently being considered by the relevant authorities in the framework of the Unified Register of Crimes and Offenses.
For our part, we assisted in investigations and transferred the necessary information for further operational procedures.
- What was this round table organized for?
- Today, fraud is a high-tech crime and integrated approach is needed to ensure an appropriate level of security. We need to conduct active training of employees to reduce the risks associated with fraud to counter it. Therefore, we have teamed up with cellular operators in Kyrgyzstan that are constantly combating the modern type of fraud as well and initiated a meeting with colleagues. The issue is pressing; we understand the importance of the current situation, so MegaCom is ready to take an active part in solving this problem.
Roundtable participants plan to create a Security Committee based on the Association of Telecommunication Operators in the Kyrgyz Republic.
We will show a decent result by combining common efforts and exchanging experience. This is the only way that we can eliminate fraudsters and create an open, honest and controlled area of mobile communications.