Telecom Operators Must Step Up as Fraud Threats Surge – Report

Quick Read:

• 69% of carriers now rank fraud among their top priorities, a rise from 64% in 2024. Messaging fraud remains a serious concern: 35% of operators reported increases, though this marks a 20 percentage-point improvement compared to last year. Investments are rising: 77% of operators plan to increase spending on fraud detection across voice and messaging channels.
• Collaboration is improving: 47% of respondents note strong peer commitment to shared anti-fraud efforts, up from 30% in 2024.
• Unwanted traffic (spam, phishing, robo calls) continues to plague networks: over 53% of carriers report it as a challenge.

The global telecom industry is facing a renewed wave of sophisticated fraud threats, with operators warning that criminal tactics are evolving faster than defenses.

The GLF Fraud Report 2025 released by the Global Leaders’ Forum (GLF), reveals that nearly seven in ten carriers now rank fraud prevention among their top operational priorities, as networks battle rising cases of messaging fraud, spam traffic, and cross-border scams.

Recall that in September this year, Airtel Africa reported that its AI-powered Spam Alert service successfully detected and flagged more than 205 million spam SMS messages across 13 of its 14 operating markets in just six months.

The newly released GLF Fraud Report 2025 underscores a stark reality confronting the global telecom industry: fraudulent traffic is evolving faster than defenses, and operators can no longer afford to treat fraud as an afterthought.

Compiled from data contributed by top carriers including Vodafone, Telefónica, T-Mobile, Verizon and others, the report reveals alarming trends in messaging fraud, unwanted traffic, and cross-border vulnerabilities.

In an accompanying commentary, Eloy Rodriguez, chief wholesale officer at Telefónica and Trust Pillar Lead at GLF, emphasizes the necessity of vigilance, innovation, and partnership:

“Operators must continue investing in fraud prevention and leveraging innovative tools to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated schemes.”

What This Means for Telecom Operators

Fraud is no longer fringe, it’s central to operational risk, revenue protection, and reputational integrity.

Carriers must fast-track investments in fraud detection tools, especially in voice and messaging domains.

Industry-wide collaboration is becoming indispensable: no single operator can confront advanced fraud in isolation.

The deployment of AI and machine learning, when responsibly guided, is emerging as one of the strongest defenses.

What the Report Covers

The GLF’s 2025 edition is organized into six comprehensive sections:

1. Fraud as a sustained corporate priority
2. Trends in international voice fraud and cross-border risks
3. Messaging fraud, including smishing and artificially inflated traffic
4. Network impact from unwanted traffic
5. The role of industry collaboration and peer accountability
6. Emerging tactics and AI-driven detection strategies

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