IP RELAY FRAUD GROWS, BUT PARTIES DISAGREE ABOUT REMEDIES

摘要

Misuse of IP Relay, a service to help deaf people communicate, is becoming a serious problem, consumer and industry groups told the FCC this week. And there抯 no clear consensus on how to fix the problem. The 4-year-old service is popular among hearing-impaired people because it enables them to contact communications assistants (CAs) using any text-based device such as a computer, PDA or web-enabled phone. As with other relay services, IP Relay messages are sent to CAs, who read them to the intended recipient. The service has attracted misuse -- by those who use it to order merchandise with stolen credit cards and by others who send obscene or abusive messages to the CAs, who are required to read all messages.nnIn comments filed Mon. at the FCC, IP Relay providers said the misuse could hurt the service and deaf customers by raising costs and discouraging merchants from accepting IP Relay calls. 揟he escalating costs of combating IP Relay Service fraudulent activity, as well as the costs associated with non-legitimate IP Relay Service calls, increase the overall cost of the program and the size of the TRS [Telecom Relay Service] fund,?Verizon said. Verizon, which offers IP Relay, said providers should be allowed to terminate fraudulent calls. 揟he Commission should take steps here to make it clear to all that its rules do not prohibit IP Relay Service providers from taking steps to prevent fraud.?But AT&T, which also is a provider, said termination authority goes too far. AT&T said it and other providers have developed ways to identify and automatically block fraudulent calls, but screening and terminating calls turns a CA into 揳 watchman and enforcer.?