Bharti Airtel introduces AI alert to curb OTP-led banking fraud during calls

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.

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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.