Telecommunications fraud is advancing rapidly with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into digital communications, costing operators billions and threatening customer trust.
Telecommunications fraud is advancing rapidly with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into digital communications, costing operators billions and threatening customer trust. Harsha Angeri, vice president at Subex, warned that “fraud is no longer a back-end issue, it is a boardroom conversation,” urging companies to overhaul detection systems.
Emerging threats in 2025 include AI-powered scams, prompt injection attacks, voice cloning, SIM box fraud, SIM swapping, flash call exploitation, Wangiri scams, internal revenue share fraud, identity theft, and AI-driven phishing. Fraudsters increasingly leverage generative AI to craft convincing scams and bypass traditional security measures.
Angeri advised adopting multi-layered defences, integrating behavioural biometrics, blockchain authentication, and stronger identity verification, alongside cross-industry collaboration.
Airtel Nigeria CEO Dinesh Balsingh said the company is combating spam and unsolicited messages through advanced detection tools. “We are able to identify where these messages are coming from and block them. If there is a bulk SMS sent without subscription, we stop it,” he said.