Don't fall for the one-ring fraud over Xmas

FRAUDSTERS WILL prey on mobile phone users over the festive season as people relax their guard, warns Lavastorm.

A popular scam is the 'one-ring fraud' whereby the incoming call is timed to cut out before the recipient has a chance to answer the call.

Over Xmas, a missed call from an unknown number becomes far more plausible and the victim unwittingly returns the call to a premium rate number.

Text message scams can prove equally effective during the party season. A common text message simply says "I fancy you" which prompts the recipient to call a premium rate service and rack up an enormous amount on his or her mobile phone bill.

As the fraud management division of Martin Dawes Systems, Lavastorm has naturally unearthed these and similar scams. Consequently it sells a range of tools to help comms companies to tackle these kinds of fraud. µ