“I Got Voice Hacked!” – What to Do and How to Handle Voice Hacking

This week’s blogs revolve around the scary truth of Voice Hacking.  It’s not just a spooky story folks. We’ll tell you all you need to know about this real nightmare.

As you know, Voice Hacking can result in significant, unauthorized charges billed directly to your account. As a business you are responsible for maintaining the security of your hardware and in most cases, you will be held liable for all charges incurred on your account. However, there is also a level of responsibility that exists for the carrier. As the “service provider” for their clients (you, the customer), they should have safeguards in place to ensure that proactive notification triggers are in place should there be an unusual increase in usage. Unusually high phone traffic should be treated by your carrier no differently than high usage is treated by a credit card company. If a credit card begins to register unusual or suspect charges, the credit card company shuts it down as a preventative measure. The same SHOULD be true of your telecom carrier as it relates to long distance charges.

However, these safeguards don’t always protect against Voice Hackers. Read on for the Must-Do’s if you suspect Voice Hacking is Happening and How To Handle Unauthorized Charges.

What To Do If You Suspect Voice Hacking is Happening?

If, despite your best anti-fraud efforts, you suspect – or actually detect – tampering, that’s the time to take action. Unlike credit card fraud, there is no limit to the potential for loss and complete liability in the event of toll fraud. And since toll fraud charges can mount fast, you can’t afford to lose a minute. Your first two calls upon suspecting or identifying fraud should be:

1.  To your equipment vendor.
2. To your long distance provider.

Together, they can begin to pinpoint the fraud source and block further fraud attempts. Most carriers and vendors have a 24-hour hotline staffed by toll fraud security experts. Their job is to initiate immediate investigations of potential fraud in progress, help with fraud prevention and answer any fraud related questions. Do not hesitate to use them if you suspect any issues.

What Do I Do if Voice Hacking Causes Unauthorized Charges?

If all your preventative measures do not stop the hackers, and you do end up with unauthorized charges, work with your carrier to have the charges removed from your bill. In many cases, the carrier has a charge removal policy (up to a certain point) if you can prove that you took all the required steps to prevent and stop potential fraud (see prevention checklist above).

If this is not the case, and your carrier refuses to recourse the charges from your bill, you can refuse to pay the charges and file a complaint with your local PUC or the FCC. Keep in mind that this will most likely result in your carrier blocking all long distance access on your services until the matter is resolved. Always try negotiating first. In most cases, conscientious carriers are willing to work with you to resolve the issues rather than lose your business to another provider.

The Summary – Voice Hacking is Real, Not Just a Spooky Story

Now the purpose of this blog wasn’t to frighten or tell you a spooky story. Voice Hacking is real and happens every day. Now that you know all the details, make sure to follow the preventative steps above as well as keep a close eye on your voice charges – or enlist the help of a trusted expert to avoid the nightmare that is… Voice Hacking.

Click here if you missed Voice Hacking Part 1 “20 Things You Must Do to Prevent Voice Hacking”.

Renodis is the only firm in America providing professional management of businesses communications infrastructure. As a pioneer in its field, Renodis is committed to providing objective service that empowers clients to reduce the Total Cost of Telecom™, free up valuable IT and Executive resources, future-proof their technology, and gain more time for core business initiatives. Contact us to learn more.