Airtel’s AI Spam Detector Cuts Fraudulent SMS in Nigeria by 84%

Airtel Africa has announced that its AI-powered Spam Alert service has slashed unwanted SMS traffic in Nigeria by a remarkable 84% within six months, reinforcing the telecom giant’s fight against fraud and cybercrime across Africa.

Beyond Nigeria, the service detected and blocked over 200 million spam messages across Airtel’s markets during the review period, achieving an overall 12% reduction in spam SMS across its operations.

Safeguarding Subscribers from Fraud

The AI Spam Alert service, launched in March 2025, is designed to automatically identify and flag suspicious text messages without requiring customers to download any app. The free service is now available across 13 of Airtel’s 14 markets, including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Malawi, Madagascar, Rwanda, Tanzania, Chad, Zambia, Gabon, and Niger. Seychelles, Airtel’s smallest market, is expected to join soon.

Airtel Africa’s CEO, Sunil Taldar, described the development as a major step in protecting subscribers:

“We are proud to pioneer an advanced AI-powered solution that tackles spam messages, which have become a major concern as smartphone penetration rises across Africa,” he said.

Key Market Impact

• Kenya led with 68 million spam messages detected.

• Tanzania followed with 47 million blocked messages.

• Zambia recorded 33 million spam SMS detections.

In Nigeria, the AI tool has proven especially effective. Between March 13 and May 20, 2025, Airtel’s spam alert system prevented over 9.6 million fraudulent SMS, including 528,080 from Airtel users and over 9.1 million from other networks.

Global Reach: Success in India

The AI spam detection solution has also been successful in India, where Airtel’s parent company, Bharti Airtel, operates. Data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre shows:

• 14.3% drop in overall cybercrime incidents.

• 48.3 billion spam calls detected.

• 3.2 lakh fraudulent links blocked.

• 68.7% reduction in the financial value of cybercrime losses.

Launched in India in September 2024, the system became the country’s first network-based AI spam detection solution, setting the foundation for Africa’s adoption.

How Airtel’s Spam Alert Works

The AI-driven solution analyses over 250 parameters — including SIM swap frequency, sender behaviour, and message distribution patterns — to detect spam within milliseconds. Messages flagged as spam are instantly labelled “Suspected SPAM”, alerting subscribers in real-time.

The Bigger Picture

As mobile adoption accelerates across Africa, fraudsters are also scaling their tricks. Airtel’s AI-driven spam detection offers real-time, automated protection for millions of users, strengthening trust in digital communication.