In its latest step to counter rising digital fraud, Bharti Airtel has launched an AI-powered fraud alert system that warns customers when they are at risk of sharing a banking One-Time Password (OTP) during a suspicious phone call.
The feature works at the network layer and is designed to identify situations where a bank OTP is delivered to a customer while they are still engaged in an incoming call that matches known scam patterns. At that precise moment, Airtel triggers a real-time alert, cautioning the user against sharing the code.
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The move targets a growing fraud trend in India where callers impersonate delivery agents, customer care executives, or bank representatives and create urgency to trick users into revealing OTPs meant for financial transactions.
“We are on a mission to make Airtel the safe network,” said Shashwat Sharma, Managing Director and CEO, Airtel India. “Our AI-powered autonomous solution operates proactively at the network level to detect and intervene against fraudulent activity in real time.”
Designed to interrupt the scam moment
Unlike app based fraud warnings or bank advisories that arrive after the event, Airtel’s system attempts to intervene at the exact point where the fraud typically succeeds when a user is pressured into sharing an OTP during a live call.
The system analyses multiple signals in real time, including the nature of the call, the timing of OTP delivery from banks, and behavioural patterns associated with known scam methods. When these signals align, the user receives a warning before the OTP can be misused.
Importantly, the feature does not require any app download, handset compatibility, or customer action. The protection is delivered directly through Airtel’s network intelligence.
Part of Airtel’s expanding AI fraud shield
Over the past two years, Airtel has introduced AI-driven measures such as spam call identification and malicious link blocking. While these efforts reduced several forms of fraud, scammers increasingly shifted to social engineering tactics that rely on manipulating users over voice calls. The new OTP fraud alert is designed specifically to address this gap.
Rollout across India
Airtel said the system has undergone extensive trials with a high level of accuracy in detecting such fraud scenarios. The feature is already live for customers in Haryana and will be rolled out to all Airtel users nationwide over the next two weeks.
A shift in the role of telecom networks
Traditionally, OTP security has been the responsibility of banks and digital platforms. Airtel’s move signals a broader role for telecom networks in safeguarding financial transactions by acting as a real-time checkpoint between scammers and customers.
As OTP usage becomes routine for deliveries, services, and banking, this network-level intervention could help close one of the most exploited loopholes in India’s digital ecosystem.
