Telecom Fraud Prevention: The Role of Stir/Shaken

 


Fraudulent phone calls, scammy robocalls, and deepfake AI voice and video calls have become a major issue for people all over the world. As per latest stats, every day, one out of every ten calls is a scam call. What’s more distressing is such fraudulent and scam calls are increasing with each passing day. A new research revealed that scam calls have risen by a whopping 350 percent over the past three years!

A new study found scam calls result in losses of more than USD 9.8 billion in just 12 months. It’s really worrying. Now, the question comes: is there something that can prevent fraudulent calls? Yes! The solution to the problem is Stir/Shaken.

Stir/Shaken stands for Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs (SHAKEN). It is a framework designed to combat illegal caller ID spoofing—a tactic commonly used by fraudsters to disguise their identity and deceive recipients into answering scam calls.

What Is Caller ID Spoofing?

Caller ID spoofing is a technique used by fraudsters to use fake numbers (or to mimic genuine phone numbers) with an aim to deceive recipients into answering their calls.

When unsuspecting people receive such fraudulent calls, they are more likely to fall prey to the malicious schemes of the fraudsters and end up divulging sensitive information.

More often than not, these malicious actors take the help of robocalls and automated calls for their fraudulent schemes. And they not only cause financial losses to their victims but also significant mental and psychological damage for a long time.

How Stir/Shaken Prevent Fraudulent Calls?

Essentially, Stir/Shaken protocols digitally sign calls and confirm their authenticity. This verification process allows the recipient’s service provider to verify that the caller ID information has not been tampered with and is indeed from the indicated source.

By digitally signing calls, Stir/Shaken enables service providers to authenticate the origin of calls accurately. This helps in distinguishing genuine calls from fraudulent ones. Stir/Shaken also provides several critical benefits to businesses and individuals. Some of them are:

1. Improved Trust: Stir/Shaken plays an important role in enhancing trust on incoming calls. When people receive zero fraudulent calls, their trust in caller ID information increases. This reduces the likelihood of falling victim to scams and enhances overall user experience.

2. Regulatory Compliance: Regulatory bodies in many countries, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S., have mandated the implementation of Stir/Shaken as part of efforts to mitigate telecom fraud.

3. Efficient Call Blocking: Service providers can leverage Stir/Shaken to implement effective call blocking strategies. By doing so, the number of nuisance and fraudulent calls received by individuals and organizations is dramatically reduced.

4. Reduced Telecom Infrastructure Costs: This is one of the significant benefits for businesses and organizations that are susceptible to spam calls. By implementing Stir/Shaken, they can streamline their network operations and reduce the resources allocated to managing spam or scam calls. By doing that, they can reduce infrastructure costs over the long term.

In conclusion,

Stir/Shaken is a pivotal advancement in telecom fraud prevention, offering robust mechanisms to authenticate caller identities and protect consumers. As these protocols become more widely implemented, individuals and organizations can expect a more secure and trustworthy communication experience, fostering confidence in the telecommunications infrastructure.


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