With your consent and assistance, we aim to trace and eliminate ghost calls. Join us in fulfilling this mission by completing the form below to initiate the process.
Were you aware that Canada experiences one of the highest frequencies of ghost calls? Your assistance is crucial – every submission makes a difference.
Bell Canada was identified as the originating service provider responsible for the occurrence of ghost calls. However, Bell neglected to address this inappropriate conduct. During the investigation, it was revealed that Bell Canada and Bell Mobility were modifying the Call Detail Records (CDR). Their system systematically replaced the call details, falsely attributing Rogers as the Originating Source Provider. Subsequently, Bell initiated the deletion of Call Detail Records associated with Ghost Calls, a process that persisted for 18 months. Presently, Bell is still altering Call Detail Records for Ghost Calls, displaying incoming calls as originating from oneself within their system. Although a CRTC complaint was filed and closed, attempts to obtain additional details through call back requests have been disregarded by the CRTC.
Upon receiving numerous complaints, the CRTC initiated a thorough investigation, ultimately resulting in the imposition of a $1.3 million fine on Bell for engaging in unsolicited calls.
Bell Canada has persistently engaged in unsolicited calls over an extended period, and despite receiving advice and recommendations, they have been unable to rectify the issue. SOURCE
Bell Canada engaging in the falsification of Call Detail Records and the intentional deletion of Call Detail Records.
We initiated an investigation in collaboration with Technical Support from major service providers to identify the origin of Ghost Calls and pinpoint the provider facilitating the abuse. The objective was to inform the carrier about the illicit activity and offer free assistance in resolving the issue. The primary aim was to put an end to the unlawful behavior. So, how did it unfold?
BELL CANADA MODIFYING CALL DETAIL RECORDS – November 2021
DAY 1: We reached out to Bell Mobility to identify the source provider for three ghost call complaints originating from three different numbers, all within a couple of hours. Requesting a detailed ticket for this purpose, we encountered initial reluctance as it was not standard procedure. However, we persisted in securing the ticket without disclosing the actual reason, and it included phone numbers, dates, and times of the calls.
DAYS 2-6: Researching approximately five ghost and scam calls involving different providers, all evidence pointed to Bell Canada as the originator.
DAY 7: Bell Canada informed us that the three calls actually originated from ROGERS and provided cell tower information (Markham, Toronto, Niagara Falls) as the points of origin.
DAY 7: Immediate contact with ROGERS’ Tech Support followed. Expressing the reason for our call—reporting calls placed from their network as abusive—we were informed that Tech Support routinely handles such calls from customers. Despite initial skepticism, ROGERS cooperated, and after providing details, asserted that the calls could not have originated from their network. The matter was escalated, and the following day confirmed that the calls did not appear on any audit logs.
DAY 8: Contacted Bell Mobility again with the same request: identify the provider information for these three calls on a specific date. The Bell Mobility employee claimed not to see these calls but observed all other calls. Providing the Tech Support agent with the ticket number, they were shocked to find the numbers and date-time details clearly listed in the ticket. However, these details were not present in the Call Detail Records that day. This marked the first day of discovering that Bell Mobility was deleting Call Detail Records. Intriguingly, it seemed that Bell Mobility had deleted the records in the past week, and given the previously determined inaccuracies, it appeared they deleted the evidence, rendering them unable to investigate the originating call.
DAY 9: Notified Bell Corporate (BCE) headquarters that Bell Mobility was deleting Call Detail Records. Following a technical discussion with Administration, we provided a simple plan to identify the internal system running and offered recommendations to resolve the issue.
BELL MOBILITY DELETING INCOMING AND OUTGOING CALL DETAIL RECORDS – Discovery Timeline
The identification of Incorrect Call Detail Records, coupled with the subsequent Deletion of Call Detail Records, points to negligence. This transition was observed within the initial week of the investigation in November 2021.
When attempting to return a call from a ghost number, it would be visible on the Call Detail Records. However, Bell Mobility’s Ghost Call System systematically erases all traces, preventing security from identifying the cause. The deletion of Call Detail Records occurred from November 2021 to August 2023. As of December 16, 2023, Bell Mobility has reverted to altering call detail records with inaccurate details.
Bell Corporation Recommended Unifying Security and IT Efforts to Address the Issue by Implementing a Call Detail Record Replication System in 2021 – Completed in a One-Day Process within a Few Hours.
The proposed Replication System will operate as Write-Only and Read-Only, prohibiting modification or deletion. This approach ensures that logs are exclusively written to a distinct database. In the event of a deleted Call Detail Record, the system can detect differences, enabling identification of the source system and facilitating necessary action.
Contribute by engaging with us and providing the requested information below. We will keep you informed with updates, and once investigations are confirmed, results will be published in our Proof of Work section.
Once your trace is complete and verified, we provide the details of where the ghost calls are originating from below:
Proof of work
Update: September 15, 2022
A complaint was lodged by a Bell Mobility customer reporting three ghost calls occurring between 1:45 pm and 4:00 pm. Upon reaching out to Bell Mobility for Caller Info, it was conveyed that these ghost calls originated from the Rogers Network, accompanied by Tower and City information. Subsequent investigation and information sharing with Rogers revealed inaccuracies in this data.
Update: September 22, 2022
Contacted Bell Mobility to re-verify if the three Ghost Calls originated from the Rogers Network. However, at this juncture, the Ghost Calls had been removed from the Call Detail Records, with the agent unable to locate them on September 15th. Providing the agent with the ticket number from September 15th, confusion arose as to why the call detail records were not visible. The agent documented the missing call detail records in the ticket as evidence.
Update: October 13th, 2022
Bell Mobility declined to investigate the pathway of a call through their network that did not appear on the Call Detail Records (CDR).
On the same date, October 13, 2022, the same Bell Mobility customer encountered a Ghost Call at 2:51 pm. Within 10 minutes of contacting Bell Mobility, the Call Detail Record had already been removed from their system. The technical agent was unable to retrieve this call detail record. Despite obtaining a screenshot of the call, it still did not appear on Bell Mobility’s CDR days later.
Update: October 18th, 2022
Engaged in a conversation with Bell Corporate (BCE) concerning the deletion of multiple Call Detail Records. They assured an inquiry by the security team but acknowledged challenges due to the deletion of call details. Suggested the implementation of a Call Detail Record replication system by the Bell IT department, wherein Call Details are transmitted to a dedicated Read-Only system. This Read-Only system would safeguard Caller Info details and Call Detail Records, providing Security with access to comprehensive logs. This case was escalated to the CRTC to alert that Bell Canada was deleting Call Detail Records; similar to what happened in 2010 Bell Canada was deleting Call Detail Records relating to Marketing calls. People complained to the CRTC and asked Bell Canada to hand over the Call Details; however Bell Canada deleted the records instead. Bell was fined $1.3M in 2010 and they will likely be fined again between 2023 – 2025 for Deleting Call Detail Records, again. Source
Update: June 18, 2024
After several months of not receiving ghost or scam calls on the Bell Mobility network, it appears the issue may be resolved. To give it the final test, we ported our test phone number from Bell Mobility to Koodo Mobile approximately four months ago to observe the incoming ghost call and scam call issues on a different network with the same phone number. Within 30 days, ghost calls and scam calls started again. This action was part of the GhostCalls.ca mission to determine which providers would cooperate and which ones would hinder our efforts.
An investigation was launched with Koodo Mobile, who referred the call detail records lookup to the Privacy team at Telus. Koodo Mobile (Telus) refused to provide the call detail records, including the IP address of the scam caller, which would identify the source provider, citing that the IP address is personal information.
At GhostCalls.ca, we are committed to stopping ghost and scam calls at their root (their source) to protect people worldwide from fraudulent activities. Providers need to be alerted of the abuse, but Koodo Mobile (Telus) refuses to cooperate, allowing the abuse to continue.
Part of the GhostCalls.ca mission is to determine which providers assist and which providers hinder our cause. It appears that Koodo Mobile (Telus) is hindering the investigation. If you receive a scam call on the Koodo Mobile (Telus) network, be aware that they know about it and are not taking action to report or stop it.
Is it acceptable for an organization to allow its customers to be abused and harassed on a regular basis? Let us know!
Privacy?
The details you provide will be utilized for communication purposes as we collaborate to trace the origin of ghost/scam calls with your service provider. For any inquiries, please reach out to admin@ghostcalls.ca. We actively cooperate with you and your service provider to gather this essential information.