Airtel Rwanda has unveiled what it calls “Africa’s first Spam Alert Service,” a brand fresh artificial intelligence-powered tool designed to identify and flag suspicious messages. The goal became launched sooner or later of a press briefing on Thursday, July 17, at Zaria Court.
The provider will value attainable order mail messages with visible indicators, helping subscribers peril faux exercise prior to appearing on it. The system is already lively for SMS, with plans underway to lengthen protection to disclose calls and social media platforms in the upcoming months.
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“Airtel is deeply committed to stopping fraud at the source,” stated Emmanuel Hamez, Managing Director of Airtel Rwanda. “That starts with proper SIM card registration. We require an ID, a verified photo, and a physical location for every user. We’ve also integrated fingerprint verification through NIDA at all of our nearly 3,000 registration points.”
Hamez stated fraud has develop to be increasingly sophisticated, in most cases exploiting human vulnerability and emotional urgency. “Many Rwandans have received messages claiming to be from a relative in trouble, asking for money. Even I have,” he stated. “It’s not always about being naive, we all have distractions, and scammers take advantage of that.”
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The fresh system would not block messages outright, since some phrases like “send me money” can seem in dependable verbal substitute. Instead aside, the AI detects excessive-possibility patterns and flags them with a warning, encouraging users to stop and take a look at prior to appearing.
The tool, Hamez stated, became developed in collaboration with security companies including the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) and the Nationwide Cyber Security Authority (NCSA). It has been lively in the support of the scenes for 2 weeks.
RIB’s Division Manager for Cybercrime, Akilimali Shema, stated scams are evolving alongside abilities. “People have reported receiving calls that sound exactly like their own family members. Same voice, same tone. They didn’t realise it was a deepfake. That’s why we’re investing in AI. Prevention is key, but awareness is the first defence.”
In a message to fraudsters, Shema became blunt: “Cease operations. Find a real profession. We have strong partnerships and will pursue prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”
All the intention thru the Q&A, attendees raised concerns about fraud migrating from SMS to calls or social media. Airtel IT Director, Set Muyenzi, assured the general public that growth is on the roadmap. “We began with SMS because it reaches both smartphones and feature phones,” he stated. “Voice and social platforms will follow soon.”
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Muyenzi acknowledged that fraudsters are also adapting, including the utilization of AI tools of their appreciate. “This is an arms race. The technology on both sides is evolving. But we’re committed to staying ahead by constantly updating our parameters and expanding protection across all platforms.”
Hamez concluded with an update on Airtel’s community growth, noting most up-to-date upgrades to 4G sites in Kigali and nationwide improvements anticipated by month’s end. “We’ve reached speeds of up to 100 Mbps. I can confidently say our network is the best in Kigali.”
Though the focal point of the tournament became anti-fraud, Hamez took the moment to emphasise Airtel’s broader vision: “We’re no longer just connecting people — we’re connecting systems. The future is in machine-to-machine communication. And we’re building the infrastructure to make sure it’s safe.”
The fresh system runs at present on the community, requiring no app installation, and is automatically lively for all Airtel customers. From phishing makes an strive and fake promotions to impersonation scams disguised as familiar messages, the AI-powered goal acts as an early warning system to lend a hand users defend away from costly mistakes.
