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.

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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

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 Revenue Cycle

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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

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Meter installation/connections frauds

• Voltage circuit connection tamper

• Current circuit tampers.
• External tampers
• Alternate connections tampers
• Meter configuration change tampers

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Voltage Circuit Tampers

• Phase and neutral interchange.

• Looping of voltages
• Phase to phase interchange
• Rotating phases in forward or reverse direction.

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Voltage Circuit Tampers

• Voltage circuit disconnection (missing potential)

• Disturbance on neutral.
• Voltage reduction
• Neutral disconnection
• Hardware alteration

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Current Circuit Tampers

• Reversing current circuit (CT reversal)

• Reverse current injection
• Earthed loads
• Current circuit open
• Current circuit by-pass / shorting
• Current imbalance

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Current Circuit Tampers

• CT saturation
• CT secondary burden change

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External Tampers

• Abnormal magnetic influence

• High temperature
• Chemical injection
• Burning the meter

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Alternate Connections Tampers

• Mobile substations
• Direct taping

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 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

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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

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Meter hardware alteration
Hardware alteration - types

• Changing CT turns
• Changing or switching CT burdens
• Changing of other measuring circuit elements
• Reverse current injection

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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

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 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

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System conditions

• HT system
• LT system
• Abnormal system conditions
– Fuse failure on HT side
– 2/3 connections
– Unbalance loading
• Resistive loads
• Capacitive loads

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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

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Principles of RP measures

• Prevention
• Detection
• Evidence
• Isolation
• Deterrence
• Deficiency Metering
• Audits

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Energy meter – Revenue protection
Features

• Hardware features
• Software features

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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

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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

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Software features for revenue
protection

• Billing data with billing date

• Load survey
• Tamper detection and display
• Tamper event logging
• Tamper event type

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 Billing data
• Billing dates
• Automatic MD reset
• Billing register for MD and Energy
• MD reset count
• History data

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 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

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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.

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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.

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 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”

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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

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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

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 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Transaction event

• Tamper reset
• Tariff change
• TOD time and no. of registers change
• Multi level security feature
• Roll over type

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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

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 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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 Event log with
date & time
Snapshot of
electrical
parameters

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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

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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

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Metering installation check

• Metering equipment testing

– CT and PT testing at site
– Verification of connections and
abnormalities
– Verification of rating

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Metering installation Practices

• Metering Box

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Meter installation practices and theft

External damage

Loose connection
Meter installation check

• Sealing audit
– Use of proper seals
– Verification of seals
– Tracking of seals

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Sealing Arrangements

• Ultrasonic welding
• Riveting
• Latching or snap fit arrangements
• Welding
• Locks/ padlocks (Single keys/ Multiple keys)

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Types of seals

• Screw seals
– Unidirectional screws
– Head breaking type
screws
– Special head screws

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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

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Adhesive based seals
• Prevention
– Proper adhesive
– Random cut
– Sr. No
– Signature
– Company logo
– Conductive strip
• Evidence
– Mark on removal
– Brittle material
– UV marks

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Types of seals

• Plastic seals
– Material
• PVC
• Nylon
• Poly Carbonate

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Types of seals

• Metal seals
– Ferrules
– Lead seals
– Rod Seals

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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

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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.

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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.

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 Suggestions & Questions
Please.

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Electricity Metering technologies and systems

THANK YOU!

68
An under ground tapping !

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Potential link open !

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Current by pass !

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Radio operated switches

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Meter spoofing

So you think you

are reading a
meter ?
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Unidirectional and self breaking screws

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 QUICKTRACK
SOFTWARE

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Altered hardware !

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