There is an SMS aggregator that uses gray routes for 98 percent of the messages it sends. Emmy Léger and her colleagues at Araxxe know who that SMS aggregator is because they executed over 3 million tests to construct a global map of A2P SMS bypass fraud. However, Emmy explained during her appearance on RAG TV why they will continue to conduct even more tests, and will hence be updating the bypass fraud statistics they compiled for 2020 on a quarterly basis this year.
It is key to have continuous eyes everywhere, throughout. That is key, because if you solve the problem today, it doesn’t solve the whole A2P problem. It moves around. If they can see that you’re unprotected you’ll be the victim again.
Emmy also spoke about the need for better education about SMS bypass so this fraud is tackled effectively. I hope to soon be able to announce the unveiling of a new training course about SMS bypass on RAG Learning, the online education platform from the Risk & Assurance Group. The course will be offered free of charge and is based on insights from Günter Haberkorn, Senior Fraud Expert at Deutsche Telekom Security. In the meantime, I learned a lot from Emmy’s explanation of the scale of the A2P SMS bypass fraud. It is clear that Araxxe’s data has given them an authoritative understanding of why so many mobile operators are receiving 20 or 30 percent of SMS messages via gray routes. If you missed the live broadcast then you can still gain the benefit of Emmy’s insights by watching the RAG TV replay below.
