Airtel Leads Telecom Alliance Against Rising Cybercrime

Airtel is crafting a coalition with telecom giants Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea to combat the spike in telecom fraud and scams, as informed to the government and Trai. The proposal seeks to unite the industry to tackle the mounting threat of digital frauds that are increasingly plaguing vulnerable individuals.

India logged more than 1.7 million cybercrime complaints in the first three quarters of 2024, resulting in losses exceeding Rs 11,000 crore, according to data cited in Airtel's correspondence to its peers. The urgency for an industry-wide response is underscored by the sophistication of current scams, including phishing and fraudulent loan offers.

Airtel is not just urging industry collaboration but has also independently rolled out a fraud detection solution to intercept malicious sites across popular communication platforms. The proposed Joint Telecom Fraud Initiative, set for launch on May 14, 2025, will enable real-time fraud intelligence sharing and enhance cross-network coordination to mitigate telecom scams.

(With inputs from agencies.)