“Committing communications fraud is serious business, and, to borrow a phrase from a major motion picture: ‘business is a-booming’.” ˜ So says Stratecast report Using Big Data to Put a Big Hurt on Communications Fraud authored by Jeff Cotrupe. The Communications Fraud Control Association (CFCA), the de facto global authority on communications fraud, provided figures to Jeff and Stratecast indicating that communications fraud represents an $18.4 billion risk via crimes such as compromised corporate phone and voicemail systems; subscription and identity theft; credit card fraud; and calling scams known in the industry as international revenue share and bypass fraud.

Stratecast client Lavastorm, which uses Big Data to help communications service providers improve their businesses through fraud control and many other measures, is making Cotrupe’s Stratecast report available for download here. Lavastorm is featuring the report alongside other analysis from fellow technology research leaders Gartner, where Cotrupe formerly served as research director, and from Forrester.

˜ Inglourious Basterds (2009, Universal Pictures). One of the author’s favorite lines from any film, ever, uttered by one of his favorite actors, Brad Pitt, as Lieutenant Aldo Raine.