Apparatus and methods for providing wireless system fraud and visibility

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for providing wireless telecommunications service providers roamer visibility for on-line customer support and a fraud data feed for reducing losses due to fraud, obviating the need for each provider to purchase data from a central clearinghouse. Monitoring devices are coupled to existing network links (e.g., SS7 telecommunications links) or network elements (e.g., an STP pair), and are adapted to capture certain data regarding user traffic. The captured data is in turn provided via a wide area network or other transmission means to a message processor. The message processor collates raw messages received from the data capture devices and produces roamer visibility and fraud data. This subscriber-related data can be used to populate one or more databases available for query by on-line client workstations, or may, in the case of fraud-related data, be provided as a wire feed or other transmission to a fraud detection system or other wireless service providers. Before providing fraud data, redundant data is eliminated.