VoIP is being recognised by the majority of businesses as the telephony solution of the future, delivering immense flexibility in application and geography, together with incredible cost savings. However the less honourable have also started to exploit the power of VoIP and use it fraudulently. Any organisation that is investing in VoIP should be aware of the risk of fraud. Where possible, businesses should turn to reputable VoIP providers such as IDT, and armed with this useful information, they should be able to spot the less than honest VoIP players.
Know your scam
The first step to avoiding VoIP fraud is knowing that it exists. Most fraud falls into one of two categories: the services which present themselves as reputable providers and then disappear without carrying out their promises, and customers who use VoIP services without intending to pay for them, either by hacking into accounts or using stolen credit details. Both kinds of fraud create problems.
Wedding out the fakes in wholesale VoIP termination
When you are looking for a VoIP provider, some research can help you to avoid the scammers. A genuine VoIP company will maintain its presence in the physical and virtual realms. The provider will have its own website and will be referred to in publications and assessments of VoIP services. An established VoIP provider will have physical offices; a headquarters in a major city and possibly offices in other countries too. If the only evidence you can find of a provider’s existence is a simple website with a page or two, then beware and keep looking.
Also be careful if supposed official emails from a provider are not sent from their own company email. You will have seen phishing emails like this from banks and other companies, pretending to be from a particular company and on closer examination the sender is using a random email address. A genuine VoIP provider will also have provision for online chat and questions, and possibly a dedicated line to deal with enquiries. In addition, their service may be reviewed by a technology magazine or website. Also beware of fake reviews that simply regurgitate the information on the provider’s webpage. A genuine VoIP provider will have some traces of its existence on reputable industry news sources.
Services offered
A genuine VoIP provider will have established networks with a number of international telecoms companies. The provider should be happy to discuss these, and the ways in which these partnerships benefit their clients.
Many telecoms conferences and seminars are held annually. To attend, a VoIP provider must fulfil certain criteria and be accredited. If there is no record of a provider ever attending a commercial event, then consider this a warning sign. Online forums and VoIP discussion boards also track fraudulent providers and warn others.
Don’t be deterred by VoIP fraud. As a genuine provider, IDT delivers cost-effective and flexible solutions that will enhance the productivity of any business, with a very strong return on investment.
