Fraud prevention in a telecommunications network

A system for improving fraud detection within a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

• means for receiving call records representative of calls on the network;
• rule-matching means arranged to compare each call record against an alarm-rule and
• to determine a match if the alarm-rule matches the call record;
• and
• to determine a near-match if the alarm-rule just fails to match the call record;
• validation means for validating the individual matched records and the near-matched records with an indication of expected fraud;
• rule-update means arranged to alter the said alarm rule in further dependence upon the validated matched and validated near-matched records;
• and
• rule-update means being arranged to alter the alarm rule in further dependence upon an estimated fraud cost.

A system for improving fraud detection within a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

• means for receiving call records representative of calls on the network;
• rule-matching means arranged to compare each call record against an alarm-rule and
• to determine a match if the alarm-rule matches the call record;
• and
• to determine a near-match if the alarm-rule just fails to match the call record;
• validation means for validating the individual matched records and the near-matched records with an indication of expected fraud;
• rule-update means arranged to alter said alarm rule in dependence upon the validated matched and validated near-matched records;
• and
• rule-update means arranged to alter the alarm rule only on receipt of a user update request.

A system for improving fraud detection within a telecommunications network, the system comprising:

• means for receiving call records representative of calls on the network;
• rule-matching means arranged to compare each call record against an alarm-rule and
• to determine a match if the alarm-rule matches the call record;
• and
• to determine a near-match if the alarm-rule just fails to match the call record;
• validation means for validating the individual matched records and the near-matched records with an indication of expected fraud;
• rule-update means arranged to alter said alarm rule in dependence upon the validated matched and validated near-matched records;
• and
• validation means includes means for automatically providing an indication of expected fraud for each record.

A method of improving fraud detection within a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• (a) receiving call records representative of calls on the network;
• (b) comparing each call record against an alarm rule, and
• (i) determining a match if the alarm rule matches the call record;
• and
• (ii) determining a near-match if the alarm-rule just fails to match the call record;
• (c) validating the individual matched records and the near-matched records with an indication of expected fraud;
• and
• (d) altering said alarm rule in dependence upon the validated matched and validated near-matched records.

A method of improving fraud detection within a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• receiving call records representative of calls on the network;
• comparing each call record against an alarm rule, and
• determining a match if the alarm rule matches the call record;
• and
• determining a near-match if the alarm-rule just fails to match the call record;
• validating the individual matched records and the near-matched records with an indication of expected fraud;
• altering said alarm rule in dependence upon the validated matched and validated near-matched records;
• and
• altering the alarm rule in further dependence upon an estimated fraud cost.

A method of improving fraud detection within a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• receiving call records representative of calls on the network;
• comparing each call record against an alarm rule, and
• determining a match if the alarm rule matches the call record;
• and
• determining a near-match if the alarm-rule just fails to match the call record;
• validating the individual matched records and the near-matched records with an indication of expected fraud;
• and
• altering said alarm rule in dependence upon the validated matched and validated near-matched records;
• and
• altering the alarm rule only on receipt of a user-update request.

A method of improving fraud detection within a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• receiving call records representative of calls on the network;
• comparing each call record against an alarm rule, and
• determining a match if the alarm rule matches the call record;
• and
• determining a near-match if the alarm-rule just fails to match the call record;
• validating the individual matched records and the near-matched records with an indication of expected fraud;
• altering said alarm rule in dependence upon the validated matched and validated near-matched records;
• and
• automatically providing an indication of expected fraud for each record.

A method of improving fraud detection within a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• receiving call records representative of calls on the network;
• comparing each call record against an alarm rule, and
• determining a match if the alarm rule matches the call record;
• and
• determining a near-match if the alarm-rule just fails to match the call record;
• validating the individual matched records and the near-matched records with an indication of expected fraud;
• altering said alarm rule in dependence upon the validated matched and validated near-matched records;
• and
• providing user-validation of each record.