Global contact centers face rising fraud threats, TNS study shows

VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES — A recent study by Transaction Network Services (TNS) revealed that 94% of outbound contact center managers and executives are deeply concerned about the rising threats of spam, fraud, and call spoofing. 

These findings, detailed in TNS’s newly released eBook emphasize the growing pressure on businesses to address these challenges and safeguard their operations.

Financial and reputational damage from fraudulent calls

The study found that 69% of respondents believe fraudulent activities targeting outbound calls are negatively impacting their company’s bottom line. Call spoofing, a common tactic used by fraudsters, not only erodes customer trust but also damages brand reputation and disrupts workforce efficiency.

“Bad actors have increasingly targeted businesses’ outbound contact center telephone numbers in call spoofing attempts to swindle consumers out of their personal information and funds,” said Jim Tyrrell, Vice President of Global Product Strategy for TNS. 

He further noted that many organizations are under-investing in fraud prevention, with 70% of surveyed professionals reporting their companies spend less than 20% of their total fraud-related monetary losses on prevention solutions.

Low adoption of fraud prevention tools in call centers

Despite widespread concern, the research highlighted a significant gap in action: 31% of contact centers are not using any tools to prevent spoofing. 

This lack of preventive measures leaves businesses vulnerable, especially as 89% of companies making over a million outbound calls per month reported experiencing issues with fraudsters spoofing their identities. Additionally, 88% of respondents acknowledged knowing other organizations affected by similar fraudulent activities.

Encouragingly, 96% of decision-makers expressed interest in adopting enterprise authentication and spoof protection technologies to mitigate these threats.

As fraudulent schemes grow more sophisticated, TNS’ findings underscore the urgent need for contact centers to prioritize robust fraud prevention strategies to protect their customers and reputations while maintaining operational efficiency.