FLASH CALLS IN MODERN TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORKS: THREATS, CHALLENGES, AND EFFECTIVE COUNTERMEASURES

Vetoshko I.P. Flash calls in modern telecommunication networks: threats, challenges, and effective countermeasures.This paper addresses the phenomenon of Flash Calls -ultra-short incoming calls used for user authentication in modern telecommunication networks -and their impact on network security and operator revenues.Unlike traditional SMS-based methods, Flash Calls allow cost-effective, high-speed verification, but simultaneously bypass billing systems and facilitate fraudulent practices such as CLI spoofing and international revenue sharing fraud (IRSF).The paper explores the technical characteristics of Flash Calls, highlights their detection complexity, and analyses vulnerabilities in current anti-fraud systems.A multi-layered countermeasure architecture is proposed, integrating real-time analytics, machine learning algorithms, and STIR/SHAKEN protocols to identify and block fraudulent activity.The effectiveness of the approach is supported by traffic analysis and experimental blocking results on global platforms such as Meta.The proposed system ensures reliable identification of malicious patterns while minimizing false positives and preserving service quality.