The manipulation, tampering, or unlawful use of a cellular phone or a cellular phone service is defined as cellular fraud. There was a time that a large part of cell phone fraud resulted from the cloning of cellular phones. Due to this, the Wireless Telephone Protection Act (WTPA) was passed in April 1998, that criminalized the use, possession, manufacture or sale of cloning hardware or software. At the moment, the main type of cellular fraud can be attributed to subscriber fraud. According to research, the cellular industry all over the Unites States is said to lose over $150 million per year due to subscriber fraud.
Types of Cellular Fraud Subscriber FraudWhen a person signs up for a cellular service by providing false identification or fraudulently-obtained customer information, it is known as subscriber fraud. Perpetrators of this crime obtain a victim’s personal information through underhanded means and utilize it to obtain a cell phone in the victim’s name according to White Collar Crime Lawyer William Ryan Moore. For a victim to resolve the issue of subscriber fraud, it could be a long-drawn, tiring, and tedious process.
For instance, finding out that the subscriber fraud has occurred in the first place takes time for a victim and then presenting substantially proof that that they didn’t incur the debts themselves is yet another time-consuming process. The first step to amending subscriber fraud is to call your cell phone service provider or your carrier if you suspect any such activity.
Cell Phone Cloning FraudFlorida White Collar Crime Lawyers warn that each and every cell phone that is manufactured possesses a unique factory-set electronic serial number (ESN) and telephone number (MIN). Cell phone cloning fraud occurs when a cell phone is reprogrammed to transmit the MIN and ESN that actually belongs to another legitimate cell phone. The ESN/MIN combinations of subscribers are obtained illegally by cell phone scammers, by illegally monitoring the radio wave transmissions from legitimate cell phones.
Once the cloning process is complete, both the fraudulent and the legitimate cell phones bear the very same ESN/MIN combination. This means that cellular systems aren’t really able to distinguish the legitimate cell phone from the cloned one. Therefore, the owner of the legitimate cell phone ends up getting billed for the calls, messages, etc. of the cloned cell phone. A cloned phone can also be made use of to commit other crimes, which if traced, can lead to the owner of the legitimate cell phone.
Network FraudNetwork fraud refers to an advanced type of fraud that involves exploiting weaknesses in billing systems and phone switch equipment. When a current system is manipulated, it can lead to use of nonexistent account numbers, third party billing, or the use of multiple phones on single accounts.
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Call Selling OperationsThis type of cellular fraud refers to the utilization of stolen calling card numbers and/or cellular account numbers to retail less expensive cellular long distance service to others.
Stolen / Lost PhonesWhen the cell phone of a legitimate subscriber is stolen or misplaced, it can give the thief or the finder access to personal details of the owner, especially if the phone in question is a Smarthphone and if it isn’t password protected. Through this, the unscrupulous person could access personal accounts, bank details, credit card details, emails, and much more.
Staying SafeStaying safe from fraudulent activities of any kind, including subscriber fraud, means protecting your personal and sensitive information, especially when a person is purchasing something online or from a store. It is each person’s responsibility to protect their identity. Cell phone manufacturers have developed an authentication system to combat cell phone cloning fraud.
Our Florida White Collar Crime Lawyers are available to discuss your case seven days a week. Schedule an appointment to learn more about possible defenses.
Cell Phone Cloning Reference, Fraud Laws, Cell Fraud Govt. Site.