Vocus adds Tollring scam protect solution to combat unwanted calls

Vocus is the first local telco to offer a new scam protection solution to reduce scam calls across its network.

Built by US-based vendor Tollring, the Scam Protect product automatically monitors calls across a telco’s network and presents analytics and alerts on the type of potential scam calls that come into the network.

The vendor said in a statement that identification of potential scam calls enables the telco to understand scam calling profiles and take appropriate action.

The integration comes following the ACMA’s registration of the Reducing Scam Calls Code in December 2020.

According to ACCC Scamwatch data, Australians lost $35.6 million to scam calls in 2020 and scam calls accounted for 46 percent of all scams reported.

Vocus head of operations Ellie Sweeney said the telco had worked with the vendor for many years.

“We already use their real-time fraud protection solution, which uses a combination of automated protection tools and credit limits, to protect our network. Today, as scam calling continues to rise and affect people the world over, this new state-of-the-art scam protection software gives us invaluable support to protect our customers and comply with our regulatory obligations.”

Tollring’s Scam Protect is a SaaS solution that gives providers of cloud-based calling platforms a way to protect against scam calls. It uses algorithms to analyse call traffic automatically, identify irregularities, fraudulent activity and to prevent future recurrences.

Tollring’s commercial manager for the region Graham Evans said it was “great to see industry and regulators working collaboratively to better protect consumers and businesses from this global issue”.

“We are delighted to launch our new scam protection solution to help carriers and carriage service providers efficiently comply with the new regulatory obligations.

“And we’re delighted to have Vocus as our foundation scam protection solution customer, given our long-standing partnership and their use of fraud management solutions from Tollring.”