Network Sleuth

After receiving an illegal call the recipient would report it to the service provider. This could involve hanging up and dialing a code, using a report page on the provider's web site, and/or calling and talking with a representative. The information collected with this report would include the date/time of the call, and details about the content. The provider would use the report information to locate the Call Data Records for that call, validate the report, and enter all the information into a central report database. These records would be used to trace the source and submit a premium-rate billing penalty for that call. The origination carrier would receive the penalty and update the central database with the originator information. If the evidence supports the penalty, for example the customer is a repeat offender, then it would be applied to the bill of the originator and the reporting recipient would receive a bounty. If the evidence does not support the penalty then the penalty can be dismissed. The central report database would be used by all the carriers to identify repeat offenders and validate the penalties.