Airtel Nigeria’s new AI-powered Spam Alert Service has flagged over 9.6 million potential spam SMS messages between March and May 2025, protecting customers from growing digital threats like smishing

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]elecommunications service provider, Airtel Nigeria, announced on Monday, May 26, 2025, that its newly launched AI-powered Spam Alert Service has successfully flagged over 9.6 million potential spam SMS messages between March 13 and May 20, 2025.

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This initiative is designed to bolster customer protection against unwanted and potentially fraudulent communications.

The company’s statement highlighted that the system, deployed in March 2025, flagged a total of 9,667,008 SMS as spam during its first two months of operation.

Of this figure, 528,080 messages originated from on-net numbers (within Airtel’s own network), while a vast majority, 9,138,928 messages, came from off-net numbers, indicating the broader scope of the spam threat from external sources.

Airtel Nigeria emphasized that the spam alert system is a vital component of its ongoing efforts to enhance customer experience and digital safety.

A company representative stated, “At Airtel Nigeria, we are focused on connecting Nigerians and ensuring their safety and confidence while using our network. We understand that trust is the cornerstone of digital communication. That is why we are invested heavily in intelligent systems that not only detect potential threats but also learn and evolve with data.”

At Airtel Nigeria, we are focused on connecting Nigerians and ensuring their safety and confidence while using our network.

The company reiterated its commitment to continuous improvement: “As threats become more sophisticated, so will our solutions. As a company, we remain focused on leading the industry in innovation and customer satisfaction, ensuring that every Nigerian can enjoy a safer and smarter digital experience.”

The launch of this service comes at a critical time, as SMS fraud, commonly known as smishing, continues to be on the rise.

Scammers increasingly exploit text messaging to deceive mobile users, often impersonating telecom operators or sending fake promotional messages to manipulate recipients into revealing personal information or clicking malicious links.

Statistics from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) underscore the severity of the fraud landscape. Financial institutions in Nigeria reportedly lost N52.26 billion to fraud in 2024, a significant increase from N17.67 billion in 2023.

This represents a staggering 350% rise in fraud-related losses over the past five years, escalating from N11.61 billion in 2020.

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Despite a 31% decrease in the number of reported fraud cases from 101,624 in 2020 to 70,111 in 2024, the financial impact has grown substantially, making such protective measures by telecommunication providers crucial.