How This AI Alert by Airtel is transforming mobile security in Africa

These days, people rely heavily on their mobile phones for talking, texting, banking, social media, and storing important personal information. Because of this, scammers and spammers often target phone users.

Mobile fraud, like fake SMS messages and scams, is becoming more common and putting millions at risk of losing money or having their private details stolen.

Airtel’s new AI-powered Spam Alert Service offers a smart and timely way to fight back, marking a major step forward in protecting mobile users in Africa.

A brief look at mobile fraud and spam

Mobile fraud and spam are problems around the world, but they hit harder in places where mobile phone use is growing fast, and safety measures haven’t caught up.

A 2024 report from GSMA Mobile Economy shows that more than 20% of mobile users globally have experienced some kind of mobile fraud, with spam texts being one of the most common.

In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has noted a sharp rise in scam messages and fake calls, leading to yearly losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

These spam texts often include fake links, harmful ads, or tricks to steal personal details. Many people get caught without knowing, which can lead to stolen bank money, identity theft, or damaged devices.

Older spam blockers only work on certain phones or apps, leaving many people, especially those using basic phones, without protection.

Why Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service stands out

Airtel, a top telecom company in Africa, has launched a new and free service called the AI Spam Alert Service. It’s the first of its kind in Africa and aims to protect mobile users from spam text messages as they come in.

What makes this service different is that it doesn’t read or check the actual message content. Instead, it uses advanced artificial intelligence to quickly study the sender’s behaviour using over 250 signs or patterns, all within a fraction of a second.

Some of those parameters, according to Airtel, includes:

• How frequently the sender changes SIM cards.
• The volume and frequency of messages sent by the message initiator to different recipients.
• The geographical spread of the recipient numbers, whether messages are targeted locally or dispersed nationwide.
• Whether the sender receives replies or only sends messages.
• A cross-reference of numbers previously reported for spam activity.

The AI completes this analysis in just 2 milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye, allowing real-time alerts to subscribers as suspected spam messages arrive.