Global Title Faking in SMS: One of the Biggest Industry Threats That Cannot Be Ignored

Mobile network operators continue to suffer from Global Title Faking, which leads to significant financial losses. This type of fraud not only distresses the industry’s economy but also threatens the MNOs’ reputation and the users’ safety.

In this article, we explore what Global Title Faking is and what mobile network operators can do to protect themselves from this risk.

Global Title: Definition and Impact

A Global Title (GT) is a unique address that allows each SMS to be routed in the global telecommunications network. In simple terms, they resemble postal codes that determine the source and final destination of the message.

Global Title is used to route SMS, calls and other services in telecommunications networks. For example, when you send an SMS, your phone generates a message that is transmitted to the network. The system analyzes the Global Title and routes the message in the right direction — to the correct network.

It is an important part of the telecom infrastructure that enables global telecommunications networks to work correctly and simplifies the management of network requests.

How Does Global Title Faking in SMS Work?

Attackers use Global Title Faking to change the addressing in telecommunications signalling networks, such as SS7, to bypass operator service fees, hide the real source of the message, or pass it off as a legitimate, authorized message from a well-known company.

The process looks as follows:

1. Fraudsters send a fake SMS from the international SS7 Network to the HLR to check the MSISDN and verify whether the number exists and belongs to their target. To verify this, the sender needs to provide their real address via the SCCP SRI_SM.

2. The MNO responds with the location of the customer to correctly send the message.

3. The fraudster changes the forwarding address to a third-party or fake one, and the message appears like it was sent through another mobile operator.

This highly effective fraudulent practice has been working for a long time, allowing attackers and unscrupulous mobile hubs to bypass operator service fees and frame third parties who are forced to pay for sending A2P messages only because their GT was stolen and used for illegal activities.

How MNOs Can Protect Themselves from Global Title Faking 

SMS Hubs / Agrregetors are often unaware that they are being involved in fraudulent operations. And when they get large invoices for messages that they did not send, it is too late. Finding and identifying fraudsters is a challenging task, so MNOs must constantly monitor the network, track suspicious activity, and block such traffic to avoid reputational and financial losses.

What do we mean by “suspicious activity”? This can be, for example, an increase in SRI_SM requests from the source or a change in the ratio of SRI_SM and Forward_SM messages from the network. After detecting such activity, the mobile operator must check the match of the sender’s address in the SCCP SRI_SM with Forward_SM. If there are problems, Forward_SM should be blocked.

Global Title Faking in SMS is a situation where it is better to prevent a problem than to deal with its consequences. Today, the most effective and affordable way to counteract GT Faking is constant network monitoring: checking the legitimacy of GT, detecting suspicious changes in message addressing and analyzing routes. Such verification can be carried out manually, but it is associated with large costs, difficulties, and inaccuracies. Use automation to save time, effort, and money.

We offer an automated solution for 24/7 network monitoring and detection of suspicious activity with convenient online notification for possible anomalies. Additionally, you get daily detailed reports and advanced analytics for a comprehensive understanding of the network status and types of SMS fraud. This approach is cost-effective, since it saves specialists time on manual checks, and also allows you to timely identify fraudulent activities, take appropriate measures, and protect your income and reputation. Contact us to learn more about the features of our solution.