Airtel Cracks Down on Online Fraud in Kerala: Shields 1.6 Million Users in Real Time

KOCHI:
Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”) has announced significant progress in its mission to protect customers in Kerala from rising online frauds. As part of the nationwide rollout of its AI-powered fraud detection system, Airtel has successfully safeguarded more than 1.6 Million users across the state — within just 35 days of launching its advanced fraud detection system.

Automatically enabled for all Airtel mobile and broadband customers, the advanced system scans and filters links across SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, E-mail and other browsers. It leverages real-time threat intelligence to examine over 1 billion URLs daily and blocks access to harmful sites in under 100 milliseconds.

For instance, if a resident in Kollam receives a suspicious message that reads: “Your package is delayed. Track it here: http://www.tracky0urparcell.com”. And if the unsuspecting resident, then clicks on the link, Airtel’s system also clicks into gear. It instantly scans the link and if flagged as suspicious, it blocks
access. The user is redirected to a warning message that reads: “Blocked! Airtel found this site dangerous!” All this instantaneously. This real-time interception prevents users from falling victim to all kinds of frauds.

Commenting on the initiative, Gokul J, COO – Kerala, Bharti Airtel, said “Ensuring our customers are protected from all types of fraud is our primary focus, and we pledge to deliver this solution at no cost to them. The AI-based fraud detection solution will be vital for scaling our abilities in this field and for
providing new and creative solutions to meet our customers’ most urgent requirements. We believe that our solution will offer a strong defense to customers in Kerala against cyber fraud, enabling them to navigate the digital world with confidence.”

With Kerala ranked as one of India’s most digitally advanced states, the threat of online fraud has grown in both its urban and rural regions. Fraudsters increasingly target users through phishing links, fake deliveries and spurious banking alerts. Cities like Kochi, Trivandrum, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kollam,
Thrissur, and Kottayam— as well as remote towns and Aranmula, Tanur among others— have seen a sharp rise in such fraudulent attempts. Airtel’s solution acts as a statewide digital shield, protecting families, senior citizens, homemakers, students and first-time smartphone users alike.

The AI-driven platform delivers fraud warnings in the user’s preferred language, including Malayalam, making it highly effective for the state’s diverse population. This multilingual support is especially impactful in districts with low digital literacy or where English is not widely used. The solution operates silently in the background, requires no installation and is offered free of cost.

Kerala at the forefront of digital adoption — from online banking to government e-services — and Airtel’s initiative plays a critical role in creating a safer digital ecosystem across the state. Whether it’s a working professional in Kochi, a homemaker in Kannur, or a student in Kottayam, Airtel helps make
every digital interaction safer.