CEO Gopal Vittal ‘warns’ Airtel’s 300 million-plus subscribers: All cybercrimes where you lose money start with a simple phone call or SMS; tells what not to do …

Bharti Airtel recently announced plans to deploy artificial intelligence technology on its network to combat spam calls and messages. According to Airtel, the technology will analyze incoming calls and messages in real-time, alerting users to potential spam. Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal explained that the solution can identify spammers based on various indicators and will process over 1.5 billion messages and 2.5 billion calls daily.
While the technology will not automatically block calls, it will empower users to make informed decisions. Airtel CEO did acknowledge that there might be occasional “false positives” where genuine calls are mistakenly flagged as spam. He at the same time also said that the solution will not be able to address spam calls received through over-the-top (OTT) apps like WhatsApp, which remains a challenge for Airtel.
Less than a week after the rolling of the realtime spam detection technology, Airtel CEO has sent an email Airtel’s 300 million-plus subscribers. The email explains how the new system works and what customers should do and not do to keep themselves safe. Here’s the letter
Dear Customer,
I wrote to you some time ago about cybercrime and how it is on the rise. From phishing attempts to fraudulent schemes, scammers target ordinary individuals like you and me. And even the most tech-savvy folks often fall for it. It is time we all found a way to protect ourselves.
Nearly all such cyber frauds and crimes begin with a simple phone call or SMS. That’s why, we, at Airtel, have decided to help address this growing menace. We believe, that as your network provider, enabling reliable connectivity implies that you enjoy a superior network experience but also feel secure when you use your phone.
What are we doing?
For the last 6 months, we have used our Network Intelligence and Al to analyze call patterns to accurately identify spammers on the network. This list keeps growing and so this exercise will be a continuous effort. Once identified, we tag/mark everyone of these numbers so that you automatically receive a “Suspected Spam” alert, when getting a call from such numbers. At the same time, you will also get a “Suspected Spam” alert on SMSes with malicious links or fraudulent content in them. And in the background, we will continue to work at identifying verified scammers and permanently blocking them from our network. Our new solution makes us India’s 1st Spam Fighting Network and we hope you will feel more confident and secure every time you receive that spam call or message.
What do you have to do?
You do not have to do anything. This is an in-built service on our network and using it will be an seamless experience for you. No apps to download, no features to enable, no permissions to grant, and no extra charges to pay.
Our aim is to make these alerts a natural part of your mobile experience, so that each time you receive a call or SMS, you remain vigilant for the “Suspected Spam” indicator.
As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on what more we can do and how we can make your experience on our network even better.
In the meantime, stay safe. Stay vigilant.
Regards,
Gopal Vittal, CEO Airtel