NCC bars 750,000 numbers over call masking, sanctions many network operators for illicit profit making

macfranc007 February 28, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Onyirioha Nnamdi

- The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has sanctioned many telecommunications operators for engaging in call masking to make illicit profit

- NCC also issued serious warning to others suspected to be engaging in the act

- It reported that it has blocked over 750,000 numbers used by offending network providers for crime

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has suspended the operating licenses of some telecommunications operators for engaging in what it describes as call masking. The commission also issued warning letters to others caught engaging in the offence.

Tony Ojobo, the director of public affairs of the commission, on Tuesday, February 27, said in a statement in Abuja that the telecommunications regulatory agency had also begun the second phase of investigation on the involvement of digital mobile operators engaged in related offences, Premium Times reports.

As the commission explained, call masking is the act of hiding international calls coming into a country and presenting them as local in a bid to to make gain from the difference in prices between local and international calls.

The statement issued by Ojobo said: “The NCC has recently been inundated with complaints from service providers and consumers regarding the high incidence of call masking , call refiling and SIM boxing.”

“Generally, the practice complained of involves disguising international calls as local calls in order to profit from price differentials between international and local calls.

“Apart from the resultant loss of revenue by service providers , the practice also has some negative security implications . Following a painstaking investigation process , which included collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services , the commission has imposed a range of sanctions on licensees involved in the fraudulent practice.”

The statement revealed that the sanctions include suspension of the interconnect clearing house licence issued to Medallion Communications Limited for 90 days and issuance of a strong warning to Interconnect Clearinghouse Nigeria Limited.

NCC also announced the disconnection of Information Connectivity Solutions Limited and Solid Interconnectivity Services Limited from all networks until these regularise operations, and issuance of warning letters to Exchange Telecoms Limited , NiconnX Limited and Breeze Micro Limited, cautioning them against engaging in the fraudulent practice.

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Ojobo reported that the commission also barred more than 750,000 numbers linked to many private network links and local exchange operator licensees, many of which were discovered to have been used for the masking.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com reported that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had said that internet users increased marginally to 98.3million in 2017.

The NCC made this disclosure in its monthly internet subscribers data analysis for December 2017 on its website on Thursday, February 8, in Abuja.

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