Equipment Identity Register

Reduce risk and minimise financial losses linked to cell phone fraud and theft

Within South Africa, cell phone fraud and theft is an everyday occurrence that costs local businesses, cell phone providers and insurers significant annual losses. In an effort to assist in combating cellular device crime and reducing the millions of Rands that are lost every year, we’ve partnered with industry players to manage the Equipment Identity Register initiative. This is a communications database that provides cellular networks and service providers the ability to share lost and stolen handset information to prevent the re-sell of this equipment by criminals.

Applications

The Equipment Identity Register solution addresses a critical issue that affects businesses from various industries.

Minimise cellular claim fraud

This solution enables insurers to reduce losses by effectively decreasing the number of “false cell phone theft” and duplicate claims. Once a claim for a stolen handset has been paid, it becomes the property of the insurer. By using the Equipment Identity Register, an insurer can easily identify any person who continues to use a “stolen” handset which reduces the possibility of the handset being claimed again.

Understand cellular usage behaviour and risks

Use of this functionality is dependent on access granted by the Equipment Identity Register Steering Committee. Access includes loading and viewing of white lists, capturing insurance detail, blacklisting handsets, activating handsets, viewing transactions and tracing handsets.