Analysis and detection of SIMbox fraud in mobility networks

Ilona Murynets; Michael Zabarankin; Roger Piqueras Jover; Adam Panagia

doi:10.1109/INFOCOM.2014.6848087

Analysis and detection of SIMbox fraud in mobility networks

Ilona Murynets
, Michael Zabarankin
, Roger Piqueras Jover
, Adam Panagia

Department of Mathematical Sciences

Stevens Institute of Technology

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Voice traffic termination fraud, often referred to as Subscriber Identity Module box (SIMbox) fraud, is a common illegal practice on mobile networks. As a result, cellular operators around the globe lose billions annually. Moreover, SIMboxes compromise the cellular network infrastructure by overloading local base stations serving these devices. This paper analyzes the fraudulent traffic from SIMboxes operating with a large number of SIM cards. It processes hundreds of millions of anonymized voice call detail records (CDRs) from one of the main cellular operators in the United States. In addition to overloading voice traffic, fraudulent SIMboxes are observed to have static physical locations and to generate disproportionately large volume of outgoing calls. Based on these observations, novel classifiers for fraudulent SIMbox detection in mobility networks are proposed. Their outputs are optimally fused to increase the detection rate. The operator's fraud department confirmed that the algorithm succeeds in detecting new fraudulent SIMboxes.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	IEEE INFOCOM 2014 - IEEE Conference on Computer Communications
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages	1519-1526
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Print)	9781479933600
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/INFOCOM.2014.6848087
State	Published - 2014
Event	33rd IEEE Conference on Computer Communications, IEEE INFOCOM 2014 - Toronto, ON, Canada Duration: Apr 27 2014 → May 2 2014

Publication series

Name	Proceedings - IEEE INFOCOM

Conference

Conference	33rd IEEE Conference on Computer Communications, IEEE INFOCOM 2014
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Toronto, ON
Period	4/27/14 → 5/2/14

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Computer Science
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1109/INFOCOM.2014.6848087

Cite this

@inproceedings{95b5b695a7ad43d7814e0ff2f9dbb226,

title = "Analysis and detection of SIMbox fraud in mobility networks",

abstract = "Voice traffic termination fraud, often referred to as Subscriber Identity Module box (SIMbox) fraud, is a common illegal practice on mobile networks. As a result, cellular operators around the globe lose billions annually. Moreover, SIMboxes compromise the cellular network infrastructure by overloading local base stations serving these devices. This paper analyzes the fraudulent traffic from SIMboxes operating with a large number of SIM cards. It processes hundreds of millions of anonymized voice call detail records (CDRs) from one of the main cellular operators in the United States. In addition to overloading voice traffic, fraudulent SIMboxes are observed to have static physical locations and to generate disproportionately large volume of outgoing calls. Based on these observations, novel classifiers for fraudulent SIMbox detection in mobility networks are proposed. Their outputs are optimally fused to increase the detection rate. The operator's fraud department confirmed that the algorithm succeeds in detecting new fraudulent SIMboxes.",

author = "Ilona Murynets and Michael Zabarankin and Jover, \{Roger Piqueras\} and Adam Panagia",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.1109/INFOCOM.2014.6848087",

language = "English",

isbn = "9781479933600",

series = "Proceedings - IEEE INFOCOM",

publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",

pages = "1519--1526",

booktitle = "IEEE INFOCOM 2014 - IEEE Conference on Computer Communications",

note = "33rd IEEE Conference on Computer Communications, IEEE INFOCOM 2014 ; Conference date: 27-04-2014 Through 02-05-2014",

}

Murynets, I, Zabarankin, M, Jover, RP & Panagia, A 2014, Analysis and detection of SIMbox fraud in mobility networks. in IEEE INFOCOM 2014 - IEEE Conference on Computer Communications., 6848087, Proceedings - IEEE INFOCOM, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., pp. 1519-1526, 33rd IEEE Conference on Computer Communications, IEEE INFOCOM 2014, Toronto, ON, Canada, 4/27/14. https://doi.org/10.1109/INFOCOM.2014.6848087

Analysis and detection of SIMbox fraud in mobility networks. / Murynets, Ilona; Zabarankin, Michael; Jover, Roger Piqueras et al.
IEEE INFOCOM 2014 - IEEE Conference on Computer Communications. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2014. p. 1519-1526 6848087 (Proceedings - IEEE INFOCOM).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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AU - Zabarankin, Michael

AU - Jover, Roger Piqueras

AU - Panagia, Adam

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Voice traffic termination fraud, often referred to as Subscriber Identity Module box (SIMbox) fraud, is a common illegal practice on mobile networks. As a result, cellular operators around the globe lose billions annually. Moreover, SIMboxes compromise the cellular network infrastructure by overloading local base stations serving these devices. This paper analyzes the fraudulent traffic from SIMboxes operating with a large number of SIM cards. It processes hundreds of millions of anonymized voice call detail records (CDRs) from one of the main cellular operators in the United States. In addition to overloading voice traffic, fraudulent SIMboxes are observed to have static physical locations and to generate disproportionately large volume of outgoing calls. Based on these observations, novel classifiers for fraudulent SIMbox detection in mobility networks are proposed. Their outputs are optimally fused to increase the detection rate. The operator's fraud department confirmed that the algorithm succeeds in detecting new fraudulent SIMboxes.

AB - Voice traffic termination fraud, often referred to as Subscriber Identity Module box (SIMbox) fraud, is a common illegal practice on mobile networks. As a result, cellular operators around the globe lose billions annually. Moreover, SIMboxes compromise the cellular network infrastructure by overloading local base stations serving these devices. This paper analyzes the fraudulent traffic from SIMboxes operating with a large number of SIM cards. It processes hundreds of millions of anonymized voice call detail records (CDRs) from one of the main cellular operators in the United States. In addition to overloading voice traffic, fraudulent SIMboxes are observed to have static physical locations and to generate disproportionately large volume of outgoing calls. Based on these observations, novel classifiers for fraudulent SIMbox detection in mobility networks are proposed. Their outputs are optimally fused to increase the detection rate. The operator's fraud department confirmed that the algorithm succeeds in detecting new fraudulent SIMboxes.

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M3 - Conference contribution

SN - 9781479933600

T3 - Proceedings - IEEE INFOCOM

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BT - IEEE INFOCOM 2014 - IEEE Conference on Computer Communications

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ER -

Analysis and detection of SIMbox fraud in mobility networks

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