MACH warns roaming fraud will cost $5b annually

MACH, which provides solutions for the mobile supply chain, warned that it expects roaming fraud to cost mobile operators $5 billion globally in 2009 as many operators around the world have yet to comply with Near Real Time Roaming Data Exchange (NRTDE) recommendations developed by GSMA. Consequently, fraud will shift to those who are less well protected, as it always does.

“Perpetrators of roaming fraud rely on poor operator visibility and slow inter-operator processes to profit at the operators’ expense,” says James Stewart, Director of Fraud Product Management at MACH and Chairman of the Roaming Sub-Group of the GSMA Fraud Forum.

He adds, “Many operators are re-evaluating the use of their existing fraud detection measures, looking for ways to reduce expenditure. Their margins are under pressure from increasing roaming tariff regulation and competition but they cannot afford to increase their exposure to fraud and their subscribers will not accept any disruption to service caused by fraud prevention." 


MACH clears two out of every three roaming calls on GSM and CDMA networks and settles more than 60% of global inter-operator wholesale invoice amounts. MACH has over 300 NRTRDE clients, and a rapidly growing Fraud Protection client base that is doubling every six months.