DRUM – TRAINING PROGRAM
A U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Funded Program
Revenue protection issues of
tamper and fraud
By:- Mr. Surendra Jhalora
Secure Meters Ltd
Power Finance Corporation Ltd.
(A Govt. of India Undertaking)
• Objective of this training is to develop basic
understanding of technical aspects of RP issues and
an approach for analysis of tampered situation.
Disclaimer: objective of this training is to help utility engineers and others
associated with Electricity metering to understand these issues and help in
eliminating these. Any one using it for malicious purposes will be doing it his
own and YMPL or faculties will not be responsible in any manner.
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 2
Areas Covered Under this Module
• Tamper methods
• Analysis of some of the common tampers
• System conditions and effect on tamper
detection
• RP measures thru hardware and design
• RP measures thru software
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 3
Revenue Cycle
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 4
Tampering Methods
• Frauds related to meter installation /
connections
• Frauds created with the meters
– Permanent
– Controllable by consumer
– Temporary, restores normal operation with power ON/OFF
• Frauds related to data
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 5
Meter installation/connections frauds
• Voltage circuit connection tamper
• Current circuit tampers.
• External tampers
• Alternate connections tampers
• Meter configuration change tampers
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 6
Voltage Circuit Tampers
• Phase and neutral interchange.
• Looping of voltages
• Phase to phase interchange
• Rotating phases in forward or reverse direction.
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 7
Voltage Circuit Tampers
• Voltage circuit disconnection (missing potential)
• Disturbance on neutral.
• Voltage reduction
• Neutral disconnection
• Hardware alteration
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 8
Current Circuit Tampers
• Reversing current circuit (CT reversal)
• Reverse current injection
• Earthed loads
• Current circuit open
• Current circuit by-pass / shorting
• Current imbalance
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 9
Current Circuit Tampers
• CT saturation
• CT secondary burden change
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 10
External Tampers
• Abnormal magnetic influence
• High temperature
• Chemical injection
• Burning the meter
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 11
Alternate Connections Tampers
• Mobile substations
• Direct taping
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 12
Meter configuration change tampers
• Adjusting the calibration
• Changing the time of the meter
• Resetting or altering energy registers.
• Resetting or altering maximum demand and/or
billing registers
• Changing the values for meter’s CT and/or PT
ratios
• Changing meter configuration, DIP, kVA
definition etc
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 13
Frauds related to data
• Noting meter readings incorrectly
• Resetting Maximum Demand and/or making
adjustments
• Coffee shop reading
• Unauthorised downloading of data from meter
• Altering/modifying data at source or at the
billing centre
• Meter spoofing
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 14
Meter hardware alteration
Hardware alteration - types
• Changing CT turns
• Changing or switching CT burdens
• Changing of other measuring circuit elements
• Reverse current injection
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 16
Hardware alteration - means
• Breaking open the seals “cleanly”
• Cutting the enclosure plastic and re closing
• Permanent circuit changes
• “Switched” change of circuits
– Externally operated relays
– Low power radio operated relays
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 17
Hardware alteration –
RP measures
• Seal management systems
• Secure seals
– Numbered seals
– Seal management system and individual accountability
– Holographic seals, Conduction strips, Tamper evident seals
– Proper choice of seals
• Unidirectional screws
• Ultrasonically welded meters
• RP analysis of load survey data
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 18
System conditions
• HT system
• LT system
• Abnormal system conditions
– Fuse failure on HT side
– 2/3 connections
– Unbalance loading
• Resistive loads
• Capacitive loads
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 19
System conditions
• Effect of tamper features
– Forward recording
• Capacitive conditions
• Wrong connections
– Two current sensors in single phase meters
• Common neutral
• Earthed neutral
• HT metering
– Charged EHV line under low load
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 20
Principles of RP measures
• Prevention
• Detection
• Evidence
• Isolation
• Deterrence
• Deficiency Metering
• Audits
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 21
Energy meter – Revenue protection
Features
• Hardware features
• Software features
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 22
Hardware features - Single Phase
Meters
• Double current sensors
• Electronic Display
• Optical reading
• Features to deter-magnetic field based
frauds
• Features to prevent- breaking open the
meter case
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 23
Hardware features - Three phase
meters
• Electronic Display
• Two wire operation features
• 4th current sensor for LT meters
• Phase to phase protection
• Real Time Clock
• Magnetic influence detection
• Optical reading port
• Transparent terminal block covers
• Front sealing
• Ultra sonic welding
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 24
Software features for revenue
protection
• Billing data with billing date
• Load survey
• Tamper detection and display
• Tamper event logging
• Tamper event type
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 25
Billing data
• Billing dates
• Automatic MD reset
• Billing register for MD and Energy
• MD reset count
• History data
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 26
Maximum Demand data
• Maximum Demand Register
– Useful for demand monitoring of individual consumer.
– Tariff category can be selected by recording of actual demand
– Real time based demand recording
– Effective Demand management - Automatic Reset at predefine
date & time
• Universal MD & Cumulative maximum demand register support
• MD reset count, date and time, reset mechanism recording
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 27
Load Profile
• Load survey supported for 30 or 15 minutes
integration period.
• Number of days one can get depends on the
number of parameters selected and the survey
Integration period.
• Parameter Selection at site.
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 28
Load Profile
• Load survey parameters based on main
energy registers & Instantaneous
parameters.
• Parameter Profiling - Active, Reactive &
Apparent power, phase
voltages,currents, average power factor
etc.
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 29
LOAD SURVEY – data analysis
• Comparison of load survey with sending end
meter load survey
• trend analysis
– Daily,weekly,monthly
– Fall in energy consumption
• power off time as compared to other meters on
the same feeder
• MD violation “ once or multiple times in a month”
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 30
Tamper detection
• Potential Missing with phase ID
• Voltage unbalance
• Invalid voltage
• Current reversal with phase ID
• Current Short and open (Not in HT3 meters)
• Current imbalance
• Magnetic Influence
• Power up & down event
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 31
Tamper events
• Tamper display
• Tamper event snap shot
– Date and time of occurrence and
restoration
– Logging of electrical parameters : phase
wise voltage, phase wise active current,
phase wise power factor and active energy
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 32
Tamper Logging
• Segregation of events: Compartment wise
Logging with latest events
• Rollover type events
• No tamper reset facility
• Tamper evident : Event logging with date and
time in meter memory for evidence & cross check
• Event logging of meter configuration change
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 33
Missing potential
• If voltage is absent and current is present than it is a tamper.
• If current and voltage both are missing than this is a system
condition
• If tamper persists for persistence time log tamper occurrence
• Increment tamper count
• Restore when voltage present
• Voltage < Vth Occurrence
• Line current > Lth
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 34
Invalid voltage
• If normal voltage is present
• Voltage angles are not valid
• If tamper persists for persistence time log
tamper occurrence
• Increment tamper count
• Restore when voltage angles are normal
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 35
Voltage imbalance
Compute voltage unbalance w.r.t. Vmax
V imbalance > Vimb th
Condition persists for persistence time
Log voltage imbalance event occurrence
Restore when voltage normal
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 36
Current Reversal
Check normal three phase voltage
if any current negative (vector position)
If line current is more than Lth
If 4th CT flag set
Power factor more than 0.1
Condition persists for Persistence time
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 37
Current reversal
• If previous condition is not tamper, log
occurrence event
• Increment tamper count
• If the current is positive and persists for
persistence time then log restoration event.
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 38
Current Circuit Open
• Normal three phase voltage present
• If vector sum of currents is not zero
• Difference current is more than Lth
• 4th CT flag set
• None of the current is negative (vector
position)
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 39
Current Circuit Open
• Line current is less than 1%Ib
• The condition persists for Persistence time then
record current open occurrence event
• Increment tamper count
• If the 4th CT flag is reset
• Average line current is more than Lth
• Condition persists for persistence time
• Log current open restoration event
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 40
Current by pass
• Normal three phase voltage present
• Current vector sum difference is more than
Lth.
• Current reversal and current open tamper is
not logged
• The condition persists for persistence time
• Record current bypass occurrence event
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 41
Current by pass
– Increment tamper count
– If the occurrence condition is restored
– Average Line current is more than Lth
– Log restoration event after persistence
time
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 42
Meter Connection for Current tamper
detection
• The logic is based on the vector sum of the
currents
• 4th CT in neutral is essential in LT CT meter
• Neutral current or unbalance current must
pass through neutral current circuit in whole
current meters
• Avoid earthed loads
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 43
Transaction event
• Tamper reset
• Tariff change
• TOD time and no. of registers change
• Multi level security feature
• Roll over type
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 44
Data fraud - types
• Unauthorized download of data
– Hacking passwords by eavesdropping
– Lost, stolen or divulged passwords
• Alteration of the data content
– At source
– At the time of transfer to billing systems
• Meter spoofing
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 45
Data fraud RP measures
• Data access control
– Passwords combined with cryptographically
strong algorithms
– Multiple level access control
– Access logging with date and time
• Ensuring data Integrity
– Data authentication algorithms
• Ensuring data security
– Data encryption
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 46
Meter Reading
Local reading through CMRI
– Meter Reading
– Reading Load Survey data
– Gathering Tamper information
– Instantaneous electrical parameters
– Reading event information
– Downloading the gathered data to a PC
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 47
Meter Reading Instrument- MRI
• MRI options
– Vector Diagram for connection check
– High Resolution Energy display
– Load Survey Reading configuration
– Instantaneous parameter reading
• Defective connection analysis
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 48
Meter Reading Instrument- MRI
fraud prevention
• Data fraud
• False data entry: Energy and MD
• Avoid estimated billing
• Quick and reliable data transfer
• Computerized data analysis
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 49
Base Computer System - BCS
• Analysis of energy and MD data
• Vector analysis for wrong connection
– Data analysis and system conditions
• Tamper Information analysis
• ASCII Conversion Wizard for Billing data
• Installed Meter database
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 50
Event log with
date & time
Snapshot of
electrical
parameters
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 51
Base Computer System - BCS
• Comparison of load survey data
• Tabular and Graphical Load survey
representation
• Data security and authentication
• Statistical analysis of tampers and
suspect consumers
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 52
Metering installation check
• Meter testing at site
– In-situ testing of energy meters
• Single phase calibrators
• Three phase calibrator
– Test data recording and computer
analysis
– Wrong connection and CT ratio check
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 53
Metering installation check
• Metering equipment testing
– CT and PT testing at site
– Verification of connections and
abnormalities
– Verification of rating
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 54
Metering installation Practices
• Metering Box
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 55
Meter installation practices and theft
External damage
Loose connection
Meter installation check
• Sealing audit
– Use of proper seals
– Verification of seals
– Tracking of seals
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 57
Sealing Arrangements
• Ultrasonic welding
• Riveting
• Latching or snap fit arrangements
• Welding
• Locks/ padlocks (Single keys/ Multiple keys)
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 58
Types of seals
• Screw seals
– Unidirectional screws
– Head breaking type
screws
– Special head screws
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 59
Types of seals
• Adhesive based seals
– Paper seals
• Thin Paper
• Brittle Paper
– Sticker seals
• Polyester sheet
• Thick paper
– Holographic seals
• 2/3 dimensional
• Dot matrix
• Laser viewable features and laser numbering
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 60
Adhesive based seals
• Prevention
– Proper adhesive
– Random cut
– Sr. No
– Signature
– Company logo
– Conductive strip
• Evidence
– Mark on removal
– Brittle material
– UV marks
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 61
Types of seals
• Plastic seals
– Material
• PVC
• Nylon
• Poly Carbonate
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 62
Types of seals
• Metal seals
– Ferrules
– Lead seals
– Rod Seals
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 63
A good quality Seal should be….
• Tamper evident
• Environmentally safe
• No tool needed for installation
• Long Life
• Lower overheads
• Easily Installable
• Highly visible I.D tab
• Extremely difficult to copy
• Sold only to utilities
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 64
Seals Specification
• Easily traceable
• Extremely difficult to copy
– Patented
• Sealed without using any tool.
– Anchor Locking
• Shall be made in one part
• Should be transparent and available in
different color.
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 65
Seals Tracking & recording Software
Specification
• Facility of defining system controller
• Enter sr. no of seals with the help of bar code
scanner.
• Facility to track for relevant data for individual
seal.
• Facility of report generation.
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 66
Suggestions & Questions
Please.
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 67
Electricity Metering technologies and systems
THANK YOU!
68
An under ground tapping !
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 69
Potential link open !
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 70
Current by pass !
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 71
Radio operated switches
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 72
Meter spoofing
So you think you
are reading a
meter ?
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 73
Unidirectional and self breaking screws
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 74
QUICKTRACK
SOFTWARE
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 75
Altered hardware !
11/16/2017 copy right YMPL 76
