The 2024 GLF Fraud Report report not only highlights key findings and trends in international voice and messaging fraud but also serves as a critical benchmark in the industry’s ongoing fight against fraudulent behaviours. While showcasing the significant progress made in fraud prevention, the report underscores the growing urgency for carriers and service providers to prioritise anti-fraud measures, as evolving threats continue to challenge the future of the telecom landscape.

The report also unveils the organisations that have been attested compliant with the GLF Code of Conduct (developed in partnership with the i3Forum) to prevent fraud in international telecommunications. Details of the process and the results are included in the report.
Key findings from this year’s report include:

• Fighting fraud becomes a top priority: in 2024, 64% of carriers identified fraud prevention as a “top priority,” a significant increase from 2023.
• The impact of international voice fraud is decreasing: for the first time since 2018, 50% of operators reported a reduction in the volume and impact of voice fraud, marking a positive shift in the fight against these threats. IRSF, CLI Spoofing, and OBR Fraud have emerged as the most impactful fraud types, financially and operationally.
• Fraud on SMS is still an outstanding task: although there have been slight reductions in the impact and volume of SMS fraudulent traffic, the industry remains under significant threat. Smishing, Artificially Inflated Traffic (AIT) fraud, and SMS Originator Spoofing continue to be the most prominent risks.
• Leverage AI in fraud detection: there is a clear and growing reliance on new technology to tackle emerging threats, with over 60% of carriers surveyed now using AI-driven systems to enhance fraud detection and prevention.
• Expected raise on regulatory scrutiny: over 64% of carriers expect increased regulatory scrutiny as a direct result of unwanted traffic, making fraud a mandatory element of focus and collaboration.

Call for industry collaboration:
A major theme of this year’s report is the importance of transparency and collaboration. Over two-thirds of carriers say adherence to the GLF Code of Conduct impacts their willingness to trade with peers, reinforcing the Code’s role as a crucial trust benchmark in the industry. This year we pleased that 22 international carriers have been certified as compliant with the GLF Code of Conduct: A1 Telekom Austria, Bharti Airtel Limited, Bayobab, BICS, BT, BTS, Colt Technology Services, Deutsche Telekom Global Carrier, e&, iBasis, Identidad Technologies, IDT, Lanck Telecom, Orange Wholesale, PCCW, Sparkle, stc, Tata Communications, Telefónica Global Solutions, Telin, Telstra, Vodafone.

The GLF Code of Conduct outlines seven key principles aimed at addressing fraudulent traffic and ensuring accountability across the carrier ecosystem. These principles cover everything from reporting and monitoring to contractual agreements aimed at blocking fraudulent traffic flows.
With the launch of the 2024 Fraud Report, the GLF urges all carriers to strengthen their commitment to fraud prevention and work together in addressing the regulatory gaps and evolving threats that jeopardize the security of the global telecom ecosystem.

The full report is available for download here: www.glfcommunity.com/reports-fraud/fraud-report-2024

“This year’s GLF Fraud Report highlights that as an industry we see the imperative to remove fraudulent traffic from our networks as clearly as we did when GLF was founded. Almost two thirds of carriers participating in this year’s survey noted that fighting fraud is a “top” priority. In addition, 50% of carriers reported a reduction in volume and impact of voice fraud. The consistent effort and investment by carrier fraud teams is paying off, but there is still work to be done. To this end, collaboration is really important to eradicate fraudulent traffic”, said Eloy Rodriguez, Chief Wholesale Officer at Telefónica Global Solutions and Chair of GLF Anti-Fraud Working Group.

About ITW Global Leaders’ Forum
The GLF is a network of leaders from the world’s largest international ICT service providers, who convene to discuss strategic issues and to agree on collaborative activities. Their aim is to uphold the principle of interoperability and ubiquitous international and technological coverage. The international wholesale industry is a critical part of the global ICT ecosystem, providing the backbone that enables digital services to be distributed around the world. The GLF’s primary objective is to provide leadership and direction for the industry by advocating common priorities that improve interconnectivity so that new digital services can be delivered at scale anywhere in the world. Please visit https://glfcommunity.com for more information.

Press Contact:
William Everard, Senior Marketing Manager
william.everard@itwglf.com