In the news

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Interview with CBS: Basketball fans experience scam through text messages during March Madness craze

CBS Corpus Christi’s Victoria Balderrama reports on the dangers of NCAA March Madness. Balderrama turns to a fraud mitigation expert, Chris Drake, for tips on what to watch out for as the tournament progresses. The SVP of iconectiv warns views to never download a file from a text message sent by an unknown 10-digit number, as they can infect the device with malware. As a precaution, he suggests sports fans freeze their credit and back up their phone. See the full interview here.
Mar 15, 2023
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Interview with FOX: Mobile Betting Scams: Sports betting expert shares ways to avoid scams ahead of March Madness

Fox Boston reports on the uptick in scams looking to cash in on the urgency surrounding March Madness betting. Chris Drake, SVP of iconectiv, shares his insight on the topic and warns viewers to be wary of 10-digit numbers, as they are easy to spoof. Other red flags to be on the lookout for include misspelled words, attachments/links or any request to be sent money via an untraceable method, such as cryptocurrency, gift cards or payment apps. Drake recommends that sports fans caught in a scam…
Mar 15, 2023
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Interview with FOX: March Madness scammers? How to keep yourself safe

FOX Cleveland’s Brad Hamilton seeks input from iconectiv SVP, George Cray, on how scammers are leveraging March Madness to steal personal information. Cray warns that Ohio is a hotspot for scams, as the state can now legally bet on the tournament. He suggests putting a freeze on your credit and reporting scams to the local police. See the full interview here.
Mar 14, 2023
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Interview with FOX: March Madness brings the Final Four, and scammers, to Houston

Tom Zizka of FOX Houston warns viewers that March Madness is an opportunity for fraudsters to steal fans’ personal information. Scammers will use the NCAA tournament to craft texts around ticket sales or a betting opportunity in hopes to trick receivers into sharing personal information or clicking malicious links. George Cray, VP at iconectiv, offers insight as a telecom security expert and recommends never trusting these texts with sensitive information or clicking links. Zizka explains that…
Mar 14, 2023
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Interview with CBS: “They cleared my whole bank account,” Jax woman scammed, experts now warning others about spam texts

Megan Moriarty of CBS Jacksonville shares the story of how Tesa Childs was a victim of number porting fraud. The victim shared that her bank account was emptied, and the scammer had complete access to her phone. Moiarty turns to telecom expert, George Cray, VP of iconectiv, for insight on how viewers can protect themselves. Cray explains that you can never 100% trust a text from an unknow 10-digit number and that 5-6-digit short codes are more reliable. See the whole interview here.
Mar 8, 2023
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VanillaPlus Magazine Issue 1 2023: Are we nearly there yet?

Traditionally, network service providers have charged flat-rate termination fees regardless of the call’s originating country, the network service provider and the type of connection used – mobile or fixed. While a flat-rate billing approach may have its benefits – in terms of it being a simple, clear-cut fee for the network service provider – it is not helping their financial bottom line, and here’s why. Let’s use the example of a mobile customer in Australia who calls a friend in France. With…
Feb 21, 2023
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Interview with FOX: Experts remind people to watch out for tax scams

Joshua Oculam of FOX Scranton cautions viewers of tax scams ramping up before April. iconectiv CTO, Chris Drake, provides expert insight on ways to keep viewers and their information safe. Drake explains that the IRS will contact Americans by notices in the mail, not by text or email. If a suspicious looking message is received, Drake warns to never click the link and to freeze your credit. Watch the full interview here.
Feb 17, 2023

Press Releases

Media Contact:
Sharon Oddy
Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications
+1 732 699-5130
soddy@iconectiv.com

press release

SIP Forum Welcomes New Telecom Leaders to its Board of Directors as the Industry Addresses Illegal Robocalls and Caller ID Spoofing

iconectiv CTO Chris Drake looks to amplify organization’s ability to mobilize the telecom ecosystem to develop trusted communications solutions and best practices as new board member What’s the News: The SIP Forum has elected iconectiv’s CTO Chris Drake to its Board of Directors alongside industry leaders from AT&T, Verizon, Lumen, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Microsoft. Why it Matters: As the policy administrator for nation’s Calling Number Verification Service, the SIP-based…
Mar 16, 2021
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iconectiv CTO Chris Drake Takes Leadership Position with GSMA

  GSMA’s ISAG Group adds Drake to help oversee global telecom industry specifications that support interoperability and improve security   BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – March 4, 2021 – Telecommunications services like phone calls and text messaging are fundamental to everyday existence, and service providers are heavily dependent on the availability of affordable and interoperable technologies to meet customer expectation for reliability and keep them safe. To help these…
Mar 4, 2021
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FCC Confirms Service Provider Safe Harbor for Protecting U.S. Consumers and Businesses from One-Ring “Wangiri” Robocall Scams

What’s the News: Under an FCC Report and Order effective Feb. 12, 2021, U.S. service providers may block calls from telephone numbers that are highly likely to be associated with one-ring robocall scams as long as they use reasonable analytics in deciding which telephone numbers to block. In this scam, consumers and businesses are charged a high fee after returning a call they received from a premium-rate or offshore number that lasted only one ring.  Why It Matters: iconectiv…
Feb 18, 2021
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iconectiv’s Michael O’Brien Appointed to CTIA Wireless Foundation Board of Directors

Foundation committed to supporting the positive social impact of wireless technology What’s the News: iconectiv Chief of Products Michael O’Brien has joined the CTIA Wireless Foundation Board of Directors, an organization dedicated to the development of wireless innovation aimed at creating a positive social impact in a connected era. Why it Matters: With the proliferation of mobile technology, the foundation represents a unique opportunity for the wireless industry leaders, such as…
Jan 27, 2021
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Establishing Consumer Trust with a Global Unified Verification Process is the Focus of Two Webinars Featuring Telecom Leaders

Experts from iconectiv, Network Media Group, Verizon and GSMA discuss how omni-channel and international verification enables consistent and secure business-to-consumer engagement What’s the News: Industry webinars available now that address the role of service providers, aggregators, regulators and businesses that are enabling verification and providing a trusted communications ecosystem. Why it Matters: During this period of social distancing and remote engagement, businesses are…
Jan 15, 2021
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Addressing the Financial and Reputational Impact of Trust in RCS Business-to-Consumer Messaging

GSMA webinar explores how verification authorities can help brands and service providers navigate—and maximize the benefits of—Rich Business Messaging   BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (January 8, 2020) – The business messaging market is projected to reach $74 billion by 2021 with companies sending an estimated 2.7 trillion SMS messages by 2022. The stakes are high for brands that are investing billions in an effort to create a relationship with consumers that are both virtual and uniquely…
Jan 11, 2021
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SIPNOC 2020 to Highlight Best Practices for Increasing Call Attestation Levels and Omnichannel Verification

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (December 3, 2020) – How can the STIR/SHAKEN framework be leveraged to help increase call-answer rates for legitimate businesses? What additional information do service providers need to give business calls the highest level of attestation? This will be a key topic of discussion at SIPNOC 2020, where iconectiv experts will join other industry leaders to provide actionable advice and best practices for enabling the highest level of caller verification and supporting the…
Dec 3, 2020