Artificial Inflation of Traffic

From Fake to Real
Conquering Artificial Traffic
Best practices for SMS Carriers
SMS remains essential for businesses, enabling quick delivery of critical communications like OTPs, transaction updates, and marketing messages. However, the growing prevalence of Artificial Inflation of Traffic (AIT) poses a significant threat to the messaging ecosystem. Estimated to cost brands $2.4 billion between 2022 and 2024, AIT drives financial losses across the messaging chain, impacting businesses, aggregators, and mobile network operators (MNOs). These losses, along with potential reputational damage, are pushing brands to explore alternative communication channels and emphasize the urgent need for robust anti-fraud strategies.
SMS remains essential for businesses, enabling quick delivery of critical communications like OTPs, transaction updates, and marketing messages. However, the growing prevalence of Artificial Inflation of Traffic (AIT) poses a significant threat to the messaging ecosystem. Estimated to cost brands $2.4 billion between 2022 and 2024, AIT drives financial losses across the messaging chain, impacting businesses, aggregators, and mobile network operators (MNOs). These losses, along with potential reputational damage, are pushing brands to explore alternative communication channels and emphasize the urgent need for robust anti-fraud strategies.
Part 1

What is Artificial Inflation of Traffic

Artificial Inflation of Traffic (AIT) involves fraudulent schemes where malicious actors artificially generate high SMS traffic volumes, inflating costs for businesses. This is often executed through tactics like SMS pumping, where bots or fraudsters exploit vulnerabilities in SMS gateways by triggering repeated OTP or transactional message requests, resulting in inflated charges without genuine user interaction. However, AIT’s complexity extends beyond external fraudsters — various entities within the messaging ecosystem, for instance, some untrustworthy operators may also use AIT for their own gain.
AIT’s Threats to the SMS Industry
The impact of AIT fraud on businesses extends beyond inflated traffic, driving up operational costs and exposing brands to severe financial and reputational harm. In 2023 alone, AIT fraud was estimated to have cost businesses $1.16 billion. Platforms like X/Twitter have publicly disclosed the toll it has taken on their operations, highlighting the pervasive threat fraudsters pose as they target vulnerable brands.
Part 2

How to mitigate AIT

Recognizing patterns of generated traffic requires vigilance.
Common signs include:
  • Spikes in SMS traffic without corresponding user activity.
  • High failure rates in SMS delivery.
  • Frequent OTP requests from a single number or location.
  • Unusual traffic originating from specific geographies.

Best Practices to Prevent SMS Fraud

Use Advanced Fraud Detection Tools

01
Implement solutions with AI and machine learning capabilities to monitor traffic patterns in real-time. These tools can identify anomalies and block suspicious activities before they escalate.

Partner with Reliable Messaging Providers

02
Work with providers who prioritize security and offer robust anti-fraud measures, such as rate-limiting and geographic traffic filtering.

Traffic Filtering and Monitoring

03
Regularly analyze traffic logs to identify and block illegitimate requests. Enforce strict validation mechanisms for incoming and outgoing messages.

Blacklisting Fraudulent Numbers

04
Maintain and update a blacklist of known fraudulent numbers or IPs to prevent recurring attacks.

Engage in Telecom Collaboration

05
Collaborate with telecom operators to detect and mitigate cross-network fraudulent activities.
To prevent artificial inflation of traffic, businesses can adopt several best practices and solutions to reduce risks. One effective approach is the implementation of SMS firewalls, which can detect and block suspicious traffic patterns, such as large volumes of messages sent to or from the same destination. These firewalls also help filter out malicious content, such as spam or phishing attempts.

At Skyward, we offer a tailored SMS anti-fraud solution designed to proactively detect and block AIT activities: Artificial Traffic Detector

Why Choose Skyward
for SMS Anti-Fraud Protection

At Skyward, we understand the critical role of secure messaging in your business operations. Our Artificial Traffic Detector (ATD) is designed to:
Proactively detect and block AIT activities.
Optimize messaging costs by filtering fraudulent traffic.
Ensure seamless and secure communication for your users.
We invite you to partner with us in safeguarding your messaging ecosystem against emerging threats while maintaining the trust of your customers. With Skyward’s advanced SMS security solutions, you can stay ahead of fraudsters with confidence.

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