The festive holiday is one of the busiest times of year, not just for businesses, but unfortunately for fraudsters too. Criminals know companies may be working with reduced teams, shorter hours, or even closing entirely over Christmas, creating the perfect window to attempt telecoms fraud. With fewer people watching the systems, unusual call patterns can go unnoticed until the damage is done.

One of the most common methods is the exploitation of unsecured PBX systems. Fraudsters look for open or poorly protected external ports, using them to place unauthorised calls to premium rate or international numbers. These calls can quickly accumulate substantial costs, often only detected when a large bill lands in January.

SIP trunks are another frequent target. If IP ports are left open or authentication is weak, attackers can route calls through your system with ease. In many cases, the first sign of a breach is an unexpected spike in usage but by then, the financial impact has already been felt.

As your business prepares for the holiday, it’s essential to take a few precautionary steps:

• Review your fraud control settings in the Voiceflex portal and set sensible call limits.
• Check for default or duplicated admin accounts and replace them with secure, unique passwords.
• Restrict remote access so only trusted IP addresses can reach your equipment.
• Ensure your VoIP and PBX systems are up to date, with the latest patches applied.
• Speak with your IT or telecoms provider if you’re unsure whether your configuration is fully protected.

These simple checks can dramatically reduce your exposure and help ensure you return in January without unexpected surprises.