NCJ Number
199404
Journal
Law Enforcement Quarterly Volume: 30 Issue: 1 Dated: Winter 2000-2001 Pages: 14-19
Date Published
2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the problem of drug traffickers using cloned cellular phones to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Abstract
The cellular telephone industry is booming with more than 73.6 million customers in the United States. Fraud, such as cell phone cloning, costs the industry $1 million per day. The authors explain that drug traffickers steal electronic serial numbers and mobile identification numbers from legitimate customers and then use those numbers to make calls from the owners account. The law enforcement community needs to understand this growing crime in order to combat drug trafficking. The authors explain the technology behind cell phone cloning and then discuss the methods law enforcement personnel use to detect cloned telephones and find the culprit. The Federal and State violations regarding cell phone cloning are presented, including The Wireless Telephone Protection Act of 1997 and the Access Device Fraud statute. The authors note the importance for law enforcement personnel to be aware of possible cloned telephone use during long drug investigations. The relatively simple method of detecting such cloned telephones is to look for unusual calling patterns, such as a sharp increase in monthly use. In conclusion, the authors urge that law enforcement and legislation address this issue at the Federal, State, and local levels in order to more effectively fight the war on drugs.