Airtel's AI protects 6.4M Bengal users from online fraud

Kolkata, Jun 24 (PTI) Bharti Airtel on Tuesday claimed that it has protected more than 6.4 million users in West Bengal from from falling prey to online fraudsters within 41 days of launching its AI-powered fraud detection system.

As part of a nationwide rollout, the system scans over one billion URLs daily and blocks harmful links in under 100 milliseconds across platforms such as SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, email, and web browsers, the telecom operator claimed.


"This is the world's first fraud detection solution. It helped 6.4 million users in Bengal. The company has also blocked over 188,000 harmful links and safeguarded 95.6 million users across India since the launch," said Ayan Sarkar, CEO (West Bengal and Odisha), Bharti Airtel.



The operator said it was in touch with the DIG (Cyber Crime), West Bengal, to explore joint strategies against the growing cyber threats in the state.

Cities like Siliguri, Durgapur, Asansol, Kharagpur, and Midnapore, as well as towns like Habra, Bolpur, and Bankura, have seen a sharp rise in such fraudulent attempts, the company said.

Airtel added that the system also provides fraud alerts in Bengali, enhancing its effectiveness in areas with limited digital literacy.

TRAI, in 2024, had issued directions to service providers to implement measures to prevent fraud against customers.