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Mobile phone users will be notified when suspected spam messages are sent to their phones following the roll out of a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Spam Alert Service.
Kenya is grappling with an escalating wave of spam messages, including fraudulent job offers, phishing scams, and fake investment schemes, as cybercriminals exploit the country’s growing digital adoption.
According to Communications Authority, Kenya ranks among the top three nations globally for spam text reception, with mobile users facing an increasing barrage of unsolicited and often malicious messages
Mobile phone users in Kenya receive an average of 102 unsolicited texts per month, according to data from Truecaller, a Stockholm-based caller identification app.
Airtel Kenya Managing Director, Ashish Malhotra, said that the rollout of the feature by Airtel Kenya, will grant smartphone and feature phone customers real-time alerts for suspected spam SMS messages.
"With the new Al-powered spam alert, we are enabling our customers to be more vigilant to fraud attempts on their phones and to have a better experience of our services," said Malhotra.
With Kenya's mobile phone penetration on the increase, spam messages have become a widespread issue, targeting an expanding demography of unsuspecting individuals.
Hundreds of thousands of Kenyans often receive unsolicited nagging promotional SMS or calls.
According to TransUnion’s H2 2024 Omnichannel Fraud Report, 80 per cent of Kenyan consumers were targeted by fraud attempts, with 8 per cent falling victims.
Among the leading scams in Kenya are fake job offers, loan frauds, and impersonation of banks or government agencies.
Fraudsters often send SMS or WhatsApp messages with malicious links, tricking victims into revealing personal or financial information.
In these communications, users are asked to click on links and provide personal information which could end up leading to them being defrauded. Currently, customers have to rely on third party software to flag spam messages.
CA director general David Mugonyi said that the Authority continues to review regulatory frameworks on a regular basis to ensure they are fit for purpose and align with the realities of a dynamic ICT landscape.
“We have developed comprehensive consumer protection guidelines and consumer care standards that ensure that every complaint is addressed, every dispute is resolved, and every consumer is informed and empowered,” said Mugonyi.
In response to growing concerns over data privacy, Kenya enacted a data protection law in 2020 and appointed its first Data Commissioner, Immaculate Kassait.
These measures aim to restrict the handling of personal information by the state and private entities, thereby preventing its misuse for marketing and research purposes.
Malhotra said that the AI engine works in real time, analyzing over 250 indicators such as the frequency of messages sent and the geographical distribution of recipients.
This allows the system to detect unusual patterns often associated with fraudulent activity.
To enhance user protection, all SMS traffic is filtered through a two-layer defense mechanism—one embedded at the network level and another within Airtel’s IT infrastructure.
This setup enables the system to scan and process over 18 million messages at a speed of just two milliseconds per message.
The service also identifies and warns users about malicious web links embedded in SMS texts. A central blacklist of known harmful URLs is continuously updated, and every incoming message is scanned to detect potential threats.
