fraud protection

There are several ways that telecommunication services may be fraudulently accessed, but it is possible to take steps to minimize fraud exposure on your network. While we at TelePacific hope this never happens to you, we have developed some simple guidelines to help you to lessen your exposure to fraud and to identify the source if fraud occurs.

Your company is responsible for securing your network and phone system from hackers and other fraudulent activities. If the root cause of the fraud is in your phone equipment or from calls to allowed (not blocked) calling destinations, your company will be held responsible for the fraudulent activity, including any charges that may be incurred.

If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud, call TelePacific Fraud/Loss Prevention Department at (866) 839-8545, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PDT. You may leave a message on the voicemail after business hours; the team will respond the next business day.

PBX/ Phone Systems

Change the administration security code.
Verify with your PBX vendor if your PBX is Internet-enabled because hacking can occur through the Internet into your PBX.

If there is no need to have your PBX Internet-enabled, have your vendor disable it.
Ask your vendor to check for inbound data spikes that may appear to be hacking activities.
If it has been hacked, change the login and password and password to the router of your IP PBX.

Ask your PBX vendor to identify which phone line(s) placed the fraudulent calls.
Disallow remote access to minimize fraud exposures.
Add long distance or international account codes.
Block calls to all international countries that are not called as part of your normal business. Calls must be blocked in your PBX or phone systems.

TelePacific is unable to block outbound calls to Canada; the blocking must be done directly in the PBX and or phone system. For a list of country codes click here.

Block 3rd party/collect calls in the PBX or phone systems.
Block Casual Calling (1010) in the PBX or phone systems.

Hackers will also place fraudulent calls going through different long distance carriers.
Many long distance carriers allow calls to complete through their network without the caller being a subscriber. International rates billed by these carriers are very high.
If you receive a bill from another carrier for the fraudulent calls, our Fraud/Loss Prevention Department will provide your company a letter of confirmation that fraud occurred on your telephone line(s).

Voice Mail System

Change the administration security code.
All voicemail boxes must be checked to identify if there are any existing boxes set up with the default code, soft pin or extension.

All voicemail boxes must have hard security codes.
Hackers who have compromised a voicemail box will preprogram the fraud destination number(s). After they have done this, they use the transfer feature, pager feature and/or zero out feature to place their calls out. Your vendor should be able to identify which feature was used.
The hackers can also pre-record a message stating “yes, yes.” This will allow hackers to place collect calls.

Disallow international outbound calls from your voice mail system.

Physical Security

Keep phone rooms locked.

Always validate credentials for all technicians who visit your sites.
Fraud perpetrators can gain access to unsecured phone rooms. A device can be clipped on to your line(s) to place fraud calls.
If your phone room is not locked, check for unusual device clipped onto your phone lines.

Social Engineering

“Social Engineering” may be used, where the caller manipulates someone into performing an action or divulging confidential information. When the types of calls described below are received, please report the call to TelePacific Fraud / Loss Prevention Department.

A fraud perpetrator may call into a business establishment pretending to be a technician for a phone company.
The perpetrator will manipulate the party into pressing certain digits on the telephone keypad, allowing the perpetrator to place free long distance calls.
The party will be charged for the long distance calls.
Do not transfer callers to 900; this is a fraud scam. Dialing 9 for an outside line and then 00 will give the fraud perpetrator a long distance operator.

Modem Hijacking

Modem Hijacking may be used to make fraudulent long distance calls from your computer that is billed to your phone number. Possible steps to prevent modem hijacking include:

Turn off your computer and modem when they are not in use.
Unplug phone connections from the modem when a modem is not in use.
Raise the volume level of your modem, so that you are aware of a redial.
Be aware when visiting sites of questionable content, or avoid such sites entirely. A number of sites download surreptitiously onto consumers’ hard drives.
Monitor your child’s use of the Internet. Consider using blocking software to keep children from questionable sites – adult, gambling, etc
Do not download from an un-trusted web site.
Close pop-up windows by selecting the “X” button in the upper right hand corner, rather than any other embedded icons.
Keep your operating system current with patches and updates.
Ensure that Internet dial-up access numbers are on your local telephone plan and delete unknown access numbers.
Consider installing anti-virus software and update regularly.
Disable ActiveX
Software exists to prevent such fraudulent activity. Web sites where anti-virus or trial version of anti-virus software has been made available include:

International Country Codes

CODE	COUNTRY
1	UNITED STATES
7	KAZAKHSTAN
7	RUSSIAN FEDERATION
7	TAJIKISTAN
7	UZBEKISTAN
20	EGYPT
27	SOUTH AFRICA
30	GREECE
31	NETHERLANDS
32	BELGIUM
33	FRANCE
34	SPAIN
36	HUNGARY
39	ITALY
40	ROMANIA
41	LIECHTENSTEIN
41	SWITZERLAND
43	AUSTRIA
44	UNITED KINGDOM
45	DENMARK
46	SWEDEN
47	NORWAY
48	POLAND
49	GERMANY
51	PERU
52	MEXICO
53	CUBA
54	ARGENTINA
55	BRAZIL
56	CHILE
57	COLOMBIA
58	VENEZUELA
60	MALAYSIA
61	AUSTRALIA
62	INDONESIA
63	PHILIPPINES
64	NEW ZEALAND
65	SINGAPORE
66	THAILAND
81	JAPAN
82	KOREA SOUTH
84	VIET NAM
86	CHINA
90	TURKEY
91	INDIA
92	PAKISTAN
93	AFGHANISTAN
94	SRI LANKA
95	MYANMAR (Burma)
98	IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF)
212	MOROCCO
213	ALGERIA
216	TUNISIA
220	GAMBIA
221	SENEGAL
222	MAURITANIA
223	MALI
224	GUINEA
226	BURKINA FASO
227	NIGER
228	TOGO
229	BENIN
230	MAURITIUS
231	LIBERIA
232	SIERRA LEONE
233	GHANA
234	NIGERIA
235	CHAD
236	CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
237	CAMEROON
238	CAPE VERDE
239	SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE
240	EQUATORIAL GUINEA
241	GABON
242	BAHAMAS
242	CONGO
244	ANGOLA
245	GUINEA-BISSAU
246	BARBADOS
248	SEYCHELLES
249	SUDAN
250	RWANDA
251	ETHIOPIA
252	SOMALIA
253	DJIBOUTI
254	KENYA
255	TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF
256	UGANDA
257	BURUNDI
258	MOZAMBIQUE
259	ZANZIBAR
260	ZAMBIA
261	MADAGASCAR
262	REUNION
263	ZIMBABWE
264	NAMIBIA
265	MALAWI
266	LESOTHO
267	BOTSWANA
268	ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
268	SWAZILAND
269	COMOROS
269	MAYOTTE
284	BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY
284	VIRGIN ISLANDS (BRITISH)
291	ERITREA
297	ARUBA
298	FAROE ISLANDS
299	GREENLAND
340	VIRGIN ISLANDS (U.S.)
345	CAYMAN ISLANDS
350	GIBRALTAR
351	PORTUGAL
352	LUXEMBOURG
353	IRELAND
354	ICELAND
355	ALBANIA
356	MALTA
357	CYPRUS
358	FINLAND
359	BULGARIA
370	LITHUANIA
371	LATVIA
372	ESTONIA
373	MOLDOVA, REPUBLIC OF
374	ARMENIA
375	BELARUS
376	ANDORRA
377	MONACO
378	SAN MARINO
380	UKRAINE
381	Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)
385	CROATIA (local name: Hrvatska)
386	SLOVENIA
387	BOSNIA AND HERZEGOWINA
389	MACEDONIA
403	CANADA
420	CZECH REPUBLIC
421	SLOVAKIA (Slovak Republic)
441	BERMUDA
473	GRENADA
500	FALKLAND ISLANDS (MALVINAS)
501	BELIZE
502	GUATEMALA
503	EL SALVADOR
504	HONDURAS
505	NICARAGUA
506	COSTA RICA
507	PANAMA
509	HAITI
590	GUADELOUPE
591	BOLIVIA
592	GUYANA
593	ECUADOR
594	FRENCH GUIANA
595	PARAGUAY
596	FRANCE, ANTILLES
596	MARTINIQUE
597	SURINAME
598	URUGUAY
599	NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
649	TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
664	MONTSERRAT
671	GUAM
672	ANTARCTICA
672	CHRISTMAS ISLAND
672	COCOS ISLAND
672	NORFOLK ISLAND
673	BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
674	NAURU
675	PAPUA NEW GUINEA
676	TONGA
677	SOLOMON ISLANDS
678	VANUATU
679	FIJI
680	PALAU
681	WALLIS AND FUTUNA ISLANDS
682	COOK ISLANDS
683	NIUE
684	AMERICAN SAMOA
686	KIRIBATI
687	NEW CALEDONIA
688	TUVALU
689	FRENCH POLYNESIA
690	TOKELAU
691	MICRONESIA, FEDERATED STATES OF
692	MARSHALL ISLANDS
697	YEMEN
758	SAINT LUCIA
767	DOMINICA
784	SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
787	PUERTO RICO
809	ANGUILLA
809	BERMUDA
809	DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
850	KOREA NORTH
852	HONG KONG
853	MACAU
855	CAMBODIA
856	LAOS
868	TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
869	SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
876	JAMAICA
880	BANGLADESH
886	TAIWAN, PROVINCE OF CHINA
960	MALDIVES
961	LEBANON
962	JORDAN
963	SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
964	IRAQ
965	KUWAIT
966	SAUDI ARABIA
968	OMAN
971	UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
972	ISRAEL
973	BAHRAIN
974	QATAR
975	BHUTAN
976	MONGOLIA
977	NEPAL
993	TURKMENISTAN
994	AZERBAIJAN
995	GEORGIA
996	KYRGYZSTAN