Telecom
Infobip Identifies Five Frauds Impacting the Messaging Ecosystem
Infobip, global cloud communications platform has identified five common frauds impacting mobile users in the messaging ecosystem. Infobip explains the security challenges enterprises and mobile network operators (MNOs) face in the application-to-person (A2P) messaging ecosystem. Company also explains its role as a co-guardian of the A2P ecosystem with MNOs, helping protect brands and mobile users with its firewall.
With more and more brand-to-consumer interactions moving to digital channels, ensuring the security and privacy of this communication is vital to deliver a great customer experience. But, while the A2P market will grow to $29 billion by 2024, fraud and the revenues lost to fraud are also increasing. So, now more than ever, all organizations in the A2P ecosystem must protect mobile users and consumers by providing secure communication.
Infobip, which operates a state-of-the-art omnichannel firewall, has identified five critical security challenges MNOs and enterprises need to tackle:
- Artificially inflated traffic: Artificial inflation of traffic fraud uses bots to generate one-time PIN requests to generate undue costs and financially benefit the fraudster
- Flubot: spreading like flu, flubot starts with a fraudulent link leading users to a malicious site to download an app or security update, which infects a phone with malware
- Smishing: SMS phishing, or smishing, is where fraudsters deceive consumers into revealing sensitive data which is misused. It costs consumers $10.1bn, according to RoboKiller
- Grey routes: routes that bypass MNO’s charging systems to deliver messages to end users, costing MNOs revenue and leaving mobile users unprotected from security and privacy risks
- Spam: unsolicited messages have been plaguing mobile users and consumers for some time
Cédric Gonin, VP Global Business Support at Orange International Carriers, said: “As a leading connectivity wholesaler catering to the needs of operators and content providers globally, Orange International Carriers has been securing its customers’ and partners’ international voice and messaging traffic for decades.
“And we’ve witnessed a steady increase in the number of attacks over the years, with fraudsters getting smarter and new types of fraud emerging, causing financial and reputational losses to telcos and businesses but also emotional distress for the end-user.
“Orange and Infobip/Anam therefore took advantage of their joint expertise in telecommunications security to develop a robust A2P SMS protect solution, which identifies current and emerging risks, and proactively safeguards telcos, businesses, and end-users on most channels.”
To help protect consumers, Infobip recommends MNOs work with well establish Messaging providers who have direct relationships with the large brands and also introduce technically superior firewall solutions to their networks to protect the A2P ecosystem.
Infobip also calls for regulatory change to remove the restrictions on MNOs using particular modules like content analysis to protect the end users from different fraud scenarios, particularly in Europe. Content analysis is crucial for improving security standards while maintaining high privacy norms.
For Enterprises, Infobip recommends using Messaging providers who have direct connections with MNO’s, protecting consumers security and privacy through established communications platforms with global infrastructure.
Matija Ražem, Vice President of Business Development at Infobip, said: “As the largest player in the SMS firewall market, we take our responsibility to protect MNO, enterprises, and consumers seriously. But we are all co-guardians of the A2P messaging ecosystem.
“While fraudsters are becoming ever more sophisticated, we can reduce AP2 fraud with a combined effort from all involved.
“The system is only as strong as its weakest link, so MNOs and enterprises should invest in their security and adopt the latest technology to combat fraudsters and protect their customers and business.
“That is why we have developed features like data anonymization, where our firewall separates sensitive customer data from the content, so customer’s privacy can’t be compromised.”
Infobip has been voted the number one SMS Firewall for four years straight, as voted by MNOs. Its Anam Protect firewall helps protect some 120 MNO networks and safeguards 1.2 billion mobile users combined with MNOs as co-guardians of the messaging ecosystem.
Infobip processes around 63 billion transactions over its firewall solutions and blocks more than one billion fraudulent messages monthly every month. Infobip has more than 800 direct connections to mobile network operators, enabling higher security and quality connectivity for their customers.
Apart from its SMS Firewall, Infobip have launched officially its Signals as part of its telco security portfolio, which stands out by using advanced technologies like machine learning to detect and blocking fraudulent traffic precisely.
Lebara Nigeria has officially stepped into Nigeria’s bustling telecom market with the introduction of its unique 0724 number series—a bold move that promises fresh competition and a more transparent user experience.
Leveraging its status as a Tier 5 Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), the company is positioning itself not just as another telecom player but as a catalyst for change, offering innovative packages built on fairness and clarity.
From day one, Lebara Nigeria has been ready to compete with industry giants like MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, having secured full interconnectivity with all of them.
This critical footprint ensures that its voice and data services are accessible and of high quality nationwide.
Akin Adesokan, Lebara’s chief operating officer, highlighted the company’s strategic intent: “Our readiness with the 0724 series and full interconnect setup underscores our unwavering commitment to seamless integration, customer freedom, and market inclusivity.” Indeed, the company has taken considerable steps to ensure regulatory compliance and operational strength, leveraging its global expertise as an MVNO and its freshly minted licence under the NCC’s highest tier.
What truly differentiates Lebara’s offering is its unconventional pricing model. Eschewing traditional prepaid airtime, it sells voice bundles and data packages that align with real usage, not ambiguous credit deductions. “You buy minutes, not airtime. If your call ends in 30 seconds, you still have 99 minutes and 30 seconds left. That’s the kind of clarity and control we are bringing to Nigerian telecoms,” explained Samuel Alabi, head of Corporate Communications.
This clarity responds to a long-standing frustration among Nigerians, where ₦100 airtime often disappears quickly and opaquely. Lebara’s minutes-based system offers predictability and transparency—a refreshing contrast in a market hungry for accountability.
Lebara’s entrance is more than a marketing exercise; it’s a strategic diversification of Nigeria’s mobile ecosystem.
With over 220 million active mobile lines, Nigeria is Africa’s biggest telecom consumer.
The NCC’s move to licence 41 MVNOs, including Lebara, illustrates a policy shift aimed at introducing more competition and improving service quality. Technically agile and digitally native, Lebara leverages existing network infrastructure, augmented by automated systems—a lean operation compared to the capital-intensive MNO model.
he status quo. With strategic execution and continued regulatory support, this could mark the beginning of a new chapter: one where Nigerians no longer need to ask, “Can you hear me now?” but instead say, “Yes—and I know exactly what it cost.”
As the 20th Global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) opens in Lillestrøm, Norway, leading pan-African social enterprise Paradigm Initiative (PIN) is championing grassroots voices in global digital policy discussions.
Running from June 23–27 under the theme “Building Digital Governance Together,” the IGF unites stakeholders from civil society, governments, the private sector, and technical communities to tackle pressing digital issues such as access, AI ethics, surveillance, and content moderation.
The discussions also contribute to the upcoming World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 review in December 2025.
PIN’s participation comes at a time when digital governance decisions are increasingly shaping the future of billions. “It is essential that grassroots solutions are heard,” said ‘Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of PIN. “At PIN, we believe that meaningful digital inclusion requires more than just connectivity.
“It demands inclusive, progressive and sustainable policies and frameworks built taking the realities of grassroots stakeholders into consideration.”
Representing PIN at IGF 2025 are Sesan, Chief Operating Officer Nnenna Paul-Ugochukwu, and Senior Manager for Partnerships and Engagements Thobekile Matimbe. They will engage in strategic sessions on topics like connectivity in excluded communities, AI accountability in content moderation, and human rights in emerging tech.
The team will also participate in coordination meetings with partners including Meta, UNESCO, the Freedom Online Coalition, and GPD.
PIN’s presence at the forum underscores its ongoing mission to embed digital rights within grassroots realities and to ensure that global internet governance frameworks are inclusive, accountable, and responsive to the needs of marginalised communities.
Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) stakeholders have applauded the latest in bookshelf by Remmy Nweke, the Village Priest, which was presented at the recently concluded Nigeria DigitalSENSE Africa Forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) in Lagos.
The presentation and review of the book, “The Village Priest” by Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, largely described as a powerful narrative explored the intersection of tradition and innovation in rural Igboland, received widespread acclaim, with its themes resonating deeply with the event’s focus on ‘Global Digital Compact: Opportunities for Multi-stakeholders in Nigeria.’
The highly anticipated review was delivered by Mr. ‘Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a renowned social entrepreneur and advocate for digital rights and inclusion in Africa.
Sesan lauded Nweke’s prose fiction for its insightful portrayal of “innovative technology adaptation transforming rural communities,” describing it as “a careful work of cultural documentation, offering not just a story but a chronicle—a record of transition that many rural and even urban African communities continue to live through.”
Sesan’s review highlighted the book’s central character, Ogboo AniEze, the revered chief priest of Ilimefo, whose life is dedicated to preserving his village’s customs. The narrative unfolds as “the village and its people, their traditional practices and strong cultural heritage at the crossroads!” with the arrival of GSM technology—a “strange and mysterious piece of technology” that initially challenges Ogboo AniEze’s traditional views.
The review detailed the chief priest’s journey of reconciliation, from initial fear of GSM eroding cultural heritage to a profound understanding that the technology “also offered opportunities for growth, development, and connection with the wider world.” This transformation leads to a new era of harmony in Ilimefo, where “tradition and modernity coexisted in balance.” The book beautifully illustrates how mobile phones become “a powerful tool for preserving the village’s cultural heritage” and how interfaith collaboration, particularly with Catholic priest Fada Ekie, fosters a “fusion of traditions” and a “new spiritual identity.”
“It teaches us, without preaching,” Sesan concluded, “that true innovation is not in abandoning our roots, but in strengthening them with new tools.”
This year’s Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum, was presided over by Dr. Jimson Olufuye, former President of the Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria and a member of the UN Secretary-General’s IGF Multistakeholder Advisory Group (MAG), served as a crucial platform for discussing the future of digital governance.
Olufuye also commended the author, Nweke for his perseverance in serving the ICT industry as well as endearing documentation of the sector.
For the Managing Director, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, Mr. Muhammed Rudman, the latest book by Nweke depicts the gift of in depth creativity and urged him on, despite the challenges the sectorial environment throws at industry players.
Organized by ITREALMS Media and hosted under DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA), an At-Large Structure certified by ICANN, the forum brought together key partners including the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, Internet Society Nigeria chapter, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), and ICANN.
The NDSF series, running since 2009, continues to “motivate public discourse and create awareness on the technological cum business benefits of rapidly advancing technologies capable of impacting on Internet Governance, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and domain name industry, access and affordability,” while offering a vital platform for industry networking.
The event not only celebrated the literary achievement of Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, a multiple award-winning journalist, but also reinforced the commitment of ICT stakeholders to fostering digital inclusion and innovation across Nigeria.
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