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Phone Fraud is a widespread problem in North America and across the globe, and as technology advances, so do the opportunities for fraud. No matter where your business is located or who your phone provider is, Phone Fraud is a concern for your business.

What is Phone Fraud?

Phone Fraud (also known as “Telecommunications Fraud” or “Toll Fraud”) occurs whenever an unauthorized user gains access to and/or places fraudulent charges to your telephone system. It can take many forms from unwanted collect calls to voicemail hacking. Whatever method a fraudster may use, your business’s best defence is knowledge.

How to Protect your Business Against Phone Fraud

• Monitor Remote Access and Administration
• Remote Access allows an inbound caller to access your business’s phone system and make outbound calls through it by using an access code. This is one of the most common modes of illegal entry into a phone system. To limit the risk to your business, use passwords and authorization codes to access these features. If your business does not use these features, contact your system administrator or provider to ensure that these features are turned off.

Use Strong Passwords and Authorization Codes

Your phone system’s security is only as strong as the passwords used to access it. Follow these tips to make sure your passwords and authorization codes are not easily guessed:

• NEVER USE DEFAULT PASSWORDS
• Use the pound sign (#) and asterisk (*) in your password if your system allows it.
• Use passwords that are at least 7 characters long. For maximum protection, you should use the maximum number of characters that your system allows.
• Do not use predictable patterns such as repeating characters (55555) or ascending or descending characters (54321).
• Do not use your extension number (or it’s reverse), your office number, or any other information that identifies a system owner or user (such as an employee number or social insurance number).
• Do not write down your password or store it on your hard drive or network. If a record is kept, it should stored in a secure location.

Frequently Change Passwords and Authorization Codes

It is a good idea to change your passwords and authorization codes at least four times a year. It’s also recommended that you change access/authorization codes whenever an employee (such as a network technician) leaves the company.

Control Long Distance Calling

• As the potential for long distance fraud is possible through methods other than just your phone system, Wightman has implemented an outbound calling blacklist to specific areas of known fraud activity. This blacklist is created by our telephone switch vendor and is based on the frequency of long distance fraud to the countries on the list, and is as follows:

Afghanistan	Diego Garcia	Korea	Nicaragua	South Sudan
Albania	Djibouti	Kyrgyzstan	Niger	Sri Lanka
Algeria	DR Congo	Laos	Nigeria	St. Helena
Andorra	East Timor	Latvia	Niue Islands	St. Pierre and Miquelon
Ascension Islands	Ecuador	Lebanon	Norfolk Islands	Sudan
Azerbaijan	El Salvador	Liberia	North Korea	Swaziland
Belarus	Eritrea	Libya	Oman	Togo
Benin	Estonia	Lichtenstein	Palau	Tonga Island
Bosnia-Herzegovina	Ethiopia	Lithuania	Palestine	Tunisia
Brunei	Falkland Islands	Macedonia	Papua New Guinea	Tuvalu
Bulgaria	Fiji	Madagascar	Peru	Uganda
Burkina Faso	French Polynesia	Malawi	Philippines	Ukraine
Burma	Gabon	Malaysia	Poland	Uzbekistan
Burundi	Gambia	Maldives	Qatar	Vanuatu
Cambodia	Ghana	Mali	Romania	Vietnam
Cameroon	Guatemala	Marshall Islands	Samoa	Wallis Fortuna
Cape Verde	Guinea	Mauritania	San Marino	Zambia
Central African Republic	Guinea Bissau	Moldova	Sao Tome and Principe	Zimbabwe
Chad	Guyana	Monaco	Senegal
Chile	Haiti	Montenegro	Serbia
Colombia	Honduras	Morocco	Seychelles
Comoros	Inmarsat	Mozambique	Sierra Leone
Cook Islands	Iridium	Namibia	Slovenia
Cuba	Ivory Coast	Nauru	Solomon Islands
Cyprus	Kiribati	Nepal	Somalia

By implementing this feature, the default is that no long distance calls can be placed to the countries on the list. Should you require access to place calls to any of the restricted countries, please contact our technical support team at 1.888.477.2177 to have the restriction removed from your line.

• We have the ability to block all International long distance calls. This broadens the list of restricted countries that your Wightman phone lines would be unable to place calls to.
• We have the ability to add long distance account codes to your Wightman phone lines. This business feature intercepts all 011+ and/or 1+ long distance calls and prompts the caller for an authorization code. When a valid code is entered, the call proceeds. One or more validation codes may be added to your line. This feature has an additional benefit in that it identifies the long distance calls by account code on your bill so you may use this to track your long distance billing by the individual staff member, job number etc.

Please contact our Customer Care team at 1-888-477-2177 to discuss these options.

Restrict Automated Attendant Access

Automated attendants are another common entry point for unauthorized third parties. When the automated attendant “picks up,” fraudsters can dial 91XX or 9011. On many phone systems (if the dial-out feature is active), this extension connects the caller to an outside long distance line. The best defence is to block 9XXX or 8XXX access codes and/or require an additional authorization code.

Monitor Your System

Closely monitoring your phone system will help you to catch suspicious activity early. Watch for unusual patterns or usage spikes in your PBX, voicemail, automated attendant, and toll-free systems. These may be indicators that someone is attempting to gain access to your phone system.

Please take the precautions listed above. Ultimately, any unauthorized calls made to or from your phone system equipment — whether by someone in your company or by a third party — are your responsibility. It is essential that you take steps to protect your business from phone fraud.

Your passcodes are already set up and you are able to use them at anytime as they are in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means you now have the freedom to conduct conference calls with no restriction to the day, time, duration or size of your audio conference…reservation free.

For your security, never provide your moderator passcode to anyone and never borrow someone else’s participant passcode.

Audio Conferencing User Controls

Command	Function
*0	Reach Operator
*1	Access the Help Menu
*6	Mute/Unmute Self

Audio Conferencing User Controls

Command	Function
*0	Reach Operator
*22	Record Call
*91	Hear a Participant Count
*94	Lock/Unlock Conference
*96	Mute All Participants
*97	Unmute All Participants

Audio Conferencing Tips

Before the call…

• Ensure that the information in your teleconference invitation is 100% accurate.
• Clearly indicate the appropriate time zone.
• Assign a chairperson or Moderator to control and direct the call.
• Provide the Moderator with a list of anticipated participants.
• Check the sound quality of the boardroom conferencing telephone.
• For the best hands-free sound quality, always use a PolyCom or similar teleconferencing specific equipment.
• When using MS Outlook to book a conference call appointment, add ‘Dial In’ and ‘Passcode’ information to the location field.
• Turn off all cell phones and pagers and forward other telephones in the room.
• Close the windows and blinds to soften the sound.
• Place presentation materials in Mylar sleeves to eliminate shuffling noise in the meeting room.
• Place coasters under the microphones to eliminate vibrations.

During the call…

• Never put the telephone on hold or answer a second line during the conference – music or tones will disrupt the call.
• Speak slowly and clearly.
• Press *91 for administrators to privately hear the current participant count.
• Identify yourself by name and location before speaking.
• When asking a question, address the individual by name and location.
• Use the Mute function on your telephone when you are not speaking. If your telephone does not have one, press *6 to mute your line and *6 again to un-mute.
• To keep background noise to a minimum, avoid unnecessary side discussions.
• If your line is accidentally disconnected, immediately redial the original numbers.
• Operator assistance is always available by pressing *0.
• Share these tips with your other conference participants.

Long Distance Plans

With Wightman phone service you can make long distance calls for as low as 2 cents/min. anywhere in Canada or the U.S., anytime.

Price

Standard Unbundled Rate: Standard Unbundled Rate for long distance 24/7/365, anywhere in Canada & the U.S.

$0.04 / Minute

Standard Bundled Rate: 24/7/365, anywhere in Canada & the U.S.

$0.02 / Minute

Unlimited Canada / US

$29.95 / Month

International Plan: Save up to 20% off standard international rates
See International Long Distance Rates Here

$1.95 / Month

711 (TTY) is a free Message Relay service for the hearing and/or speech impaired who use TTY machines to communicate. Standard Telephone users can also make calls to Wightman TTY & IP Relay users — an operator will type spoken words to the Relay user and read back their replies.

TTY Users
TTY to Voice Call
From your TTY, dial 711. It will be answered by an Operator who will read your request, make the call to the other party, and then relay the conversation between the two of you.

Voice Call to TTY
Dial 711. Provide the Operator with the User you want to communicate with. The Operator will make the connection to the other party and then relay the conversation between the two of you.

IP Relay Users
IP Relay is a free Message Relay service for the hearing and/or speech impaired who use the internet to communicate. The IP Relay service is designed to meet the criteria set forth by the CRTC as outlined in Policy 2009-430.
NOTE: You must register with Wightman to use the service. To register for IP Relay, call us at 1-888-477-2177 or email us here.

How to place a Text to Voice call
In order to initiate a text to voice call, click here or go to Wightman.ca/711 and log in with your IP Relay Username and password. NOTE: If you lost or forgot your Username or Password you must contact Wightman, call us at 1-888-477-2177 or email us here.

How to receive a Voice to Text call
Voice Users will need to know your IP Relay Username in order to place a voice to text call. Voice Users can call 1-855-754-9133 to connect with an IP Relay operator. You must be logged in to the IP Relay portal to receive calls. If you are not logged in, the message will be emailed to you.

How to Place a 911 Call Using IP Relay
While logged in to your IP Message Relay account, select the appropriate button: 911 – Police / 911 – Fire / 911 – Ambulance. The IP Message Relay Operator will contact 911, confirm your address and translate with various emergency centres until he or she is no longer required and the appropriate department has been dispatched to your location.

211 is Canada’s primary source of information for government and community-based, non-clinical health and social services. The free and confidential service can be accessed 24 hours a day, in more than 150 languages, by phone, chat, text, and web. 211 helps connect people to the right information and services, making their pathway to care and resources a guided and trusted one.

211 is available by phone, chat, website, and text in different regions – dial 2-1-1 to connect to community services. To learn more about 211 click here.