Airtel launches AI ‘Fraud Alert’ feature to keep your OTPs safe: Here’s how it works

Airtel has launched an AI-powered Fraud Alert feature. This new feature warns customers in real time when they receive OTPs for banking during potentially risky phone calls. The system aims to prevent fraudsters from duping customers into sharing OTPs for transactions during calls.

According to the telecom major, this is a growing scam in which criminals impersonate delivery agents or service providers to steal funds from bank accounts.

Airtel’s Fraud Alert AI feature for OTP safety: How it works

When the system detects a bank OTP during a suspicious incoming call, it alerts the customer to the risk of sharing the code. This gives users time to verify the caller's authenticity before proceeding with any transaction, addressing a gap that scammers typically exploit by creating urgency around routine services.Commenting on the initiative, Shashwat Sharma, Managing Director & CEO Airtel India said, “We are on a mission to make Airtel the safe network. While working towards this, we have realised that despite the foundational role played by One-Time Passwords (OTPs) in securing digital transactions, their efficacy is frequently being undermined by criminal tactics. We are, therefore, pleased to announce a significant advancement in Airtel’s network layer that is designed to strengthen protection against banking frauds.

Our newly developed, AI-powered, autonomous solution operates proactively at network level and is engineered to detect and intervene against fraudulent activity in real-time. Extensive trials have demonstrated a remarkable level of accuracy and impact in preventing the menace of such scams.”Over the past two years, Airtel has deployed AI-powered safeguards, including spam call warnings and malicious link blocking, to prevent fraud. While these measures have reduced fraud on its network, fraudsters have continued to exploit human vulnerabilities through impersonation and social engineering. The new feature is designed to protect mobile users from this type of digital fraud. The solution is currently live in Haryana, and Airtel will extend it to all its customers over the next two weeks.