VoIP fraud poses a significant and escalating threat to businesses, as cybercriminals increasingly target cloud-based phone systems to exploit weaknesses and reap financial gains. This type of fraud typically involves unauthorized access to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network, often with the intention of making expensive international calls or re routing users to premium-rate numbers.
While VoIP fraud encompasses a broad range of tactics, not all instances rely solely on premium-rate number schemes. Discovering prevalent VoIP fraud schemes and providing actionable measures to protect your business from these emerging threats will be the focus of this submission.
1. Vishing
A type of cybercrime also known as voice phishing, or vishing, involves duping individuals into revealing sensitive corporate or personal information, including login credentials, passwords, employee IDs, and other confidential data.
Scammers frequently employ Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), coupled with voice-alteration software and various techniques to conceal their true identities, impersonating high-ranking officials or authorities. Individuals employ persuasive tactics to coax valuable insights from those they contact.
This type of scam can manifest in numerous ways. As AI and deep fakes become increasingly sophisticated, scammers are now able to create an even more convincing disguise. A UK-based vitality company was targeted through a sophisticated deep fake voice phishing attack, for instance.
Train workers on best practices for handling unexpected phone calls and identify common tactics used in social engineering attacks, such as scammers creating a sense of urgency or evading specifics when questioned. Implement measures to fortify your organization’s defenses against these potential risks and vulnerabilities.
2. Wangiri
In Japan, Wangiri is colloquially translated to “one ring and minimize,” accurately reflecting its functionality. As your cellphone suddenly starts ringing, it abruptly falls silent.
The scam is intended to pique your interest and prompt another inquiry, ultimately resulting in unfairly high international fees being imposed on you. The automated telemarketing script is typically paired with pre-recorded messages designed to create the illusion that your conversation is tailored specifically to this individual caller, fostering a false sense of personalization.
These automated messages frequently claim that they won’t hear your input unless you repeat yourself, prompting you to re-state your request or query in order to prolong the hold time and encourage additional charges.
VoIP techniques and automated dialing systems contributed significantly to the proliferation of this scam. They enable scammers to place numerous calls simultaneously at a low cost.
A variation of this scam specifically targeting businesses is Wangiri 2.0. Bots are inundating enterprises with a variety of contact requests that include premium-rate phone numbers, designed to produce callback revenue. Companies that rebrand should be held accountable for any financial losses incurred as a result of their decision.
Wangiri is surprisingly straightforward to recognize once you grasp its fundamental mechanics. The distinctive ringtone of a single call, usually from a mobile phone number, serves as a telling sign that requires attention; therefore, educating employees on recognizing these unique sounds is essential.
Many prominent VoIP phone service providers offer advanced call-blocking features, automatically blocking suspicious incoming calls. Geolocation permissions are also a valuable recommendation, enabling you to restrict access to areas outside your designated scope of operations.
3. VoIP toll fraud
If an attacker gains unauthorized access to an enterprise’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system, they will quickly exploit the vulnerability by initiating a barrage of fraudulent calls to expensive international or premium-rate phone numbers. Typically, this process involves an attacker entering into an income-sharing agreement with the owner of the high-value target.
A managed services provider disclosed to me that one of their clients previously discovered $18,000 in fraudulent charges on their business phone system. The unsuspecting company found itself liable for the entire amount, only becoming aware of the deceit when the vendor’s invoice arrived.
Fraudulent activities frequently initiate by cybercriminals identifying vulnerabilities in cellular networks and exploiting them to gain unauthorized access. It’s possible that an open port, unsecured endpoint, or compromised credentials might be the root cause of the issue. As the attacker gains access to the system, they initiate clandestine calls, often during late-night hours or gradually unfolding over an extended period.
To safeguard against cyber threats, similar to setting up robust firewalls, consistently updating software programs, and employing strong passwords. By establishing name limits, organizations can effectively prevent massive fraudulent schemes from unfolding.
4. Caller ID spoofing
While seemingly harmless in isolation, phishing is often leveraged as a key component within larger fraud schemes to shield the perpetrator’s identity and increase the likelihood that unsuspecting individuals will fall prey.
The following text manipulates the caller ID to display a distinct identity or cellular phone number separate from the usual one – the IT manager’s cell phone number appeared local to you, but the actual cell phone number was indeed from a different country. That’s how caller ID spoofing operates.
Moreover, scammers posing as someone else can disguise themselves further by using caller ID spoofing, making it seem like they’re calling from a costly international number like Wangiri, often going undetected.
Be vigilant about unexpected phone calls, regardless of familiar caller IDs. Don’t disclose personal information and deflect suspicious questions to deter potential attackers from pursuing their objectives. When an automated voice accompanies your call, it’s probably a robocall waiting to happen.
5. PBX hacking
The tactic involves hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in a company’s non-public branch exchange (PBX) using various methods.
Hackers can easily breach an enterprise’s voicemail system by uncovering the voicemail PIN, thereby gaining remote access. The problem arises when certain companies fail to modify the default PIN – frequently, the last four digits of their mobile phone number, leaving it vulnerable to exploitation by hackers.
As hackers gain access to an enterprise’s system, they manipulate the quantities to reflect a higher rate on their own pay-per-minute plan. Subsequent calls to a person’s name will automatically route to their pay-per-minute voicemail, incurring significant fees as a result.
While cloud-based PBX systems offer greater flexibility and scalability than traditional on-premise solutions, they also introduce new security risks as hackers can potentially discover a PBX’s IP address and then use brute-force tactics to crack the login credentials and gain unauthorized access. Once compromised, hackers can exploit the vulnerability by making unauthorized outbound calls from your Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system to premium-rate numbers, resulting in costly charges for you? These clandestine calls are frequently placed outside of regular business hours to minimize their visibility.
While it’s self-evident that one should avoid utilizing standard PINs or passwords, and regularly update login information,
Delete all inactive voicemail boxes and disable advanced features such as call forwarding by name. To prevent malicious visitors from accessing our network, we implement measures to block traffic from suspicious sources and regularly conduct thorough tests to detect any unusual after-hours outbound calls.
Additionally, implement price limits.
These permissions enable you to regulate the volume of outgoing calls you can initiate within specific time frames or instances of the day, thereby helping to minimize the impact of a system breach.
6. Packet sniffing
VoIP communication is facilitated through the transmission of small data packets via Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) streams across the internet.
Packet sniffing involves monitoring and capturing Real-Time Protocol (RTP) streams to intercept the knowledge packets being transmitted. Unless these knowledge packets are adequately encrypted, unscrupulous individuals can easily intercept conversations and extract sensitive information, such as financial data or personal details?
All that’s required is to identify your community’s IP protocol configuration and utilize a packet analyzer, such as Wireshark, to monitor the dialogue. While it may seem straightforward to intercept conversations by monitoring frequency transmissions, the reality is more complex and requires sophisticated equipment and technical expertise.
You’ll be able to enable secure communication by configuring SRTP streams and TLS protocols for robust data transmission. Leading VoIP providers have been actively testing and implementing these security measures.
7. Man-in-the-Center (MitM) assaults
While packet sniffing may seem intimidating at first, it’s often just one component of a more complex attack, such as a Man-in-the-Middle assault. However, VoIP technology is still widely utilized for its cell phone applications, despite this fact.
This man-in-the-middle tactic inserts hackers directly into the information flow between you and the recipient, allowing them to intercept data before it reaches its intended destination.
Armed with ARP spoofing, an attacker can manipulate the process by injecting false routing information into a local area network. Community gadgets come in two primary forms. There is initially the MAC arrangement for bodily handling, which defines the physical positioning of a tool within a geographic community.
The IP setup enables seamless linking to the device’s internet connectivity. The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) combines two unique identifiers to ensure that data traveling across the internet is delivered precisely to the intended physical devices within a network.
The primary objective of ARP poisoning is to manipulate the Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of target devices, substituting them with the attacker’s own address using tools such as Ettercap. Any visitor attempting to access web-based knowledge between two specific IP addresses will automatically be redirected through the attacker’s malicious tools, thereby granting them complete control over the information being sought.
Attackers can intercept and delete information before it reaches its intended destination, alter it en route for nefarious purposes, or simply allow it to pass through unaffected. There exist various similar attacks, including session initiation protocol (SIP) server impersonation, which involves setting up fake SIP server proxies.
By implementing Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI), you can proactively prevent this issue from arising, ensuring a secure network environment that aligns with the latest best practices for community safety. To prevent malicious activities, DAI verifies IP-to-MAC address bindings; if an inconsistency is detected, typically resulting from ARP poisoning, it halts updates to the ARP cache and blocks data transmission over the compromised link.
8. Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) assaults
The attacks aim to overwhelm VoIP phone systems, causing them to become entirely unusable, with potential repercussions including significant recovery costs and reputational damage to the company.
One common type of VoIP denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is through Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) injection attacks. Malicious actors may overwhelm your network with fake communication requests, frequently originating from premium phone rates, by exploiting vulnerabilities in your Real-time Protocol (RPT) stream and introducing synthetic data packets.
The objective of this type of attack is to overwhelm your system with an excessive number of fake call attempts, potentially resulting in significant global charges before ultimately causing the system to crash. To preclude such attacks, consider activating SRTP protocols.
VoIP fraud is 100% avoidable
While the threats we discussed may seem daunting and potentially devastating to your business, they are entirely avoidable. As long as you prioritize the safety of your system and do not treat it as an afterthought, you will likely excel.
The plus models feature advanced instrumentation and comprehensive safety systems designed to ensure your protection at all times. To ensure absolute responsibility, you are entirely accountable for the “human layer,” specifically your employees. Implement robust passwords that are uniquely distinct across various platforms, safeguarding against pervasive forms of fraudulent activities.
