Level365 uses ClearIP to thwart 8YY robocall attacks

95% of an enterprise’s toll-free telephone number expense was generated by an ongoing flood of bad calls. Customers and staff were beleaguered by these attacks. Here’s how their voice service provider, Level365, fixed it.

The enterprise is a multi-location office furniture supply store. They have a toll-free telephone number for customers and prospects from across the U.S. to place orders, arrange deliveries, and get customer support. The toll-free number is attended by IVR (Interactive Voice Response), which routes inbound calls to the appropriate department or resource.

Level365 provides unified communications solutions to this enterprise and to other businesses across the U.S. They use the TransNexus ClearIP software platform for its compliance solutions and to provide value-added services to their clients.

The 8YY Attack

A fraudster targeted the enterprise client’s toll-free number for an 8YY targeted pumping attack. “8YY” is a telecom term to describe toll-free numbers, which start with “8.” The FCC describes this type of fraud scheme as follows:

8YY traffic pumping, or “robocalling,” occurs when an access-stimulating entity enters into a revenue sharing agreement with a local exchange carrier and then uses auto-dialing equipment to generate significant amounts of 8YY traffic that the carrier passes on to the interexchange carrier for payment. This kind of abuse involves the generation of 8YY traffic that has no legitimate purpose and exists solely for the purpose of obtaining intercarrier compensation. — FCC 20-143, ¶17, Report and Order on 8YY Access Charge Reform, October 7, 2020.

The FCC’s rules issued in the above Report and Order reduced, but did not eliminate, the incentive for 8YY traffic pumping. Figure 1 illustrates the flow of calls and payments in this scheme.

8YY Traffic Pumping

Figure 1: Call Flow and Payments in an 8YY Attack

This is what happened to the enterprise in this case study. They reviewed their 8YY calling activity and found that 95% of their toll-free telephone number expense was generated by bad calls—a stunning and upsetting problem.

A Complex Back-and-Forth Battle

The enterprise client came to Level365 with this problem. Using ClearIP, Level365 was able to profile the fraudster’s calls and implement call treatment policies. The fraudster didn’t give up, however, and repeatedly switched tactics to evade detection and continued to make fraudulent calls to the toll-free number.

The ClearIP platform has a robust set of analytics tools and configurable policies to identify and mitigate bad traffic. Level365 staff used these capabilities to identify the fraudster’s tactics and configure policies to thwart the bad calls. After a flurry of back-and-forth maneuvering, Level365 staff quickly arrived at a set of policies and controls that shut down the traffic pumping attacks.

Successful Fraud Prevention Thwarted Attacks

As a result, the enterprise client continues to receive legitimate calls on its toll-free number, the bad calls are blocked or diverted, and customers can easily communicate with the enterprise. The enterprise’s toll-free service expense returned to normal levels. Everyone is happy (except the fraudster and their accomplice).

“Level365 is dedicated to delivering high-quality communication services to our clients,” said Jason Johansen, Director of Technical Services for Level365. “This was a complex issue to tackle. We’re pleased with the support we received from TransNexus and the capabilities that ClearIP provides so that we could quickly solve this challenging problem, protect our client, and deliver the quality service they expect and deserve.”

Any voice service provider struggling with 8YY targeted pumping attacks against its customers should check out TransNexus solutions to prevent telecom fraud and robocalls.

About Level365

Level365 is a dedicated team of experts in the fields of enterprise IT, carrier voice services, and commercial broadband services. With 40 years of combined experience and knowledge of business and software communications, Level365 staff are passionate about delivering quality service to driven professionals in the modern workplace. Visit level365.com for more information.

About TransNexus

TransNexus is a leader in developing innovative software to manage and protect telecommunications networks worldwide. The company has over 25 years of experience in providing telecom software solutions including toll fraud prevention, robocall mitigation and prevention, CDR and call analytics, advanced call routing, billing support, STIR/SHAKEN, and branded calling.

Contact us today to learn more.