What is Interconnect Bypass Fraud

The phenomenon of call masking and other related infractions have assumed frightening dimension in Nigeria. Apart from depriving the government and telecoms companies of huge revenue, the sharp practices also constitute a security threat to the nation. In a bid to curb the menace, the Nigerian Communications Commission, the industry regulator, had to suspend six interconnect exchange licenses in February 2018 and bar 750,000 lines belonging to 13 operators from the national network suspected to have been involved in the criminal act. However, in spite of the measures taken by NCC, the sharp practices have continued unabated. It is against this backdrop that this chapter proffers solutions and recommends ways to nip the infractions in the bud and save the telecoms industry from imminent collapse.