In 2010, GRAPA, the Global Revenue Assurance Professionals Association launched a revolutionary new program. This program, called the “Telecommunications Fraud Officer Initiative”,  was developed and launched with a clear objective in mind. Our objective is to provide the motivation, thought leadership, methodology and structure that make it possible for individual carriers and the telecommunications industry to significantly improve the reach, depth and effectiveness of their fraud detection and deterrence activities. The Telco Fraud Officer program was created with the assistance of top names from the GSM Association and other influential Telco Fraud associations. Find out more about the Telco Fraud Officer Committee who assisted with the development of this new program.

There is a clear need for an improvement in the ability of telecoms to detect and deter fraud. The seemingly endless losses reported by carriers in the areas of fraud are not only extremely high, but are made especially frightening because a large number of frauds are NOT REPORTED for regulatory, market and investor relations reasons. When you consider that the reported fraud might represent as little as 10% of the actual fraud that occurs, the figures become quite heavy.

There are a number of possible reasons for the presence and apparent growth of fraud cases being suffered by telecoms. The discussion of each of these individual points can often generate useful insight and plans of action. But what the GRAPA organization realized, after continuously working with our membership on these issues, was that there seemed to be a fundamental weakness in the way that telecoms approached the problem overall.

The main objective of this program is to, for the first time, incorporate all of the different aspects and disciplines associated with the many different telecommunications fraud risks, and assemble them under a single unified discipline, body of knowledge and approach.

About GRAPA

The Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association (GRAPA) is the largest standards and certification body for telecommunications revenue assurance in the world. GRAPA's membership exceeds 3500 members coming from 170 countries spread across 1500 operating companies. GRAPA publishes an internationally ratified standards book, and has distributed over 2700 copies of the 180 page edition for 2009. Based on the Body of Knowledge laid out in the standards, GRAPA also offers certification of individuals. Since certification began in 2009, GRAPA has certified 175 professionals, with another 320 registered and in the process of obtaining certification. Over 500 telecoms internal audit, finance, revenue assurance and fraud management professionals have attended GRAPA’s training events.

GRAPA was created to serve the interests of telecommunications and revenue assurance professionals throughout the world. As the leading standards, certification and professionalizing body in revenue assurance, GRAPA is committed to core principals of consensus, rationalization and integrity in all its endeavors. GRAPA’s goal is to further the professional status of those working in telecommunications revenue assurance. We aim to help RA professionals have their role recognized as being at the core of efficient and effective industry practice. GRAPA believes that this can only be achieved through the ongoing application of ratified global standards, the certification of trained and qualified professionals, and the continuous education of those who work in such a demanding and constantly evolving area.

As an independent organization dedicated to the professionalization of telecommunications functions such as revenue assurance, GRAPA is a completely self-funded organization. GRAPA firmly believes that the skills, knowledge and training it provides must offer long-term value to both professionals and organizations, so that best practice can be institutionalized within the telco. Because of this, GRAPA believes that offering rigorous Certification Training is the most positive means of funding GRAPA and ensuring that GRAPA continues working on behalf of the carrier-based practitioners who seek out Professional Certification.