Bharti Airtel is bolstering its defenses against digital fraud, having blocked over 1.62 million malicious links shared via SMS, messaging apps, emails, and browser redirects. The telecom giant says this protection extends to both its mobile and Wi-Fi broadband subscribers.
Network-Level Protection
The company’s “Safe Network” initiative operates at the network level, meaning customers don’t need to install additional apps or manually report threats for the system to function. This proactive approach is part of a broader strategy to combat evolving fraud tactics, which now extend beyond traditional spam calls and phishing messages.
Expanding Threat Landscape
Airtel notes that fraud attempts have diversified to include impersonation scams, fraudulent banking requests, investment fraud, and schemes involving one-time passwords (OTPs). As more services migrate online, the company is responding by broadening its network-led safety tools to address these different forms of suspicious communication.
AI-Powered Spam and Fraud Detection
Launched in September 2024, Airtel’s AI-driven spam detection system has so far identified more than 98.4 billion spam calls and 4.4 billion spam messages. This system, described by Airtel as India’s first network-based, AI-powered spam detection solution from a telecom provider, works in tandem with the malicious link blocking capabilities.
Additional Safety Features
Safe Network also includes features designed to protect users from specific types of fraud:
- OTP-linked fraud protection: Airtel uses AI to identify and intervene when users are being manipulated into sharing sensitive credentials.
- Business name display: This feature helps users differentiate between verified business calls and potentially fraudulent numbers, reducing the risk of impersonation scams.
Airtel views these network-level protections as a crucial step in safeguarding users as digital services become increasingly prevalent.
