The annual report, produced by the GLF’s Trust Pillar, is built on insights from some of the world’s leading telecom operators, including Vodafone, Telefónica Global Solutions, e&, T-Mobile Wholesale, Verizon, Orange, and others, representing a cross-section of global carriers spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Fraud remains a persistent threat despite progress

The Fraud Report 2025 highlights how the telecom sector continues to grapple with increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes that exploit both legacy systems and emerging digital technologies. 35% of operators reported an increase in messaging fraud over the past 12 months, but that figure represents a 20 percentage-point improvement compared with 2024, suggesting that investments in detection tools and collaboration initiatives are beginning to yield results.

Voice fraud, while stabilizing, continues to challenge carriers operating across complex, cross-border networks. Meanwhile, 53% of carriers cited high volumes of unwanted traffic such as spam, robo, and phishing calls, which continue to impact customer experience and strain infrastructure.

Collaboration on the rise

The 2025 findings reveal that cooperation across the industry is strengthening. 47% of respondents said their peers demonstrate a high commitment to collaboration — up from just 30% in 2024 — underscoring a shared understanding that effective fraud prevention requires collective action.

77% of carriers plan to increase their investment in voice and messaging fraud detection technologies over the next year, signalling a long-term commitment to combating fraud at both the technical and strategic levels.

“The 2025 GLF Fraud Report charts industry progress while highlighting persistent threats,” said Eloy Rodriguez, Chief Wholesale Officer, Telefónica Global Solutions and Trust Pillar Lead, GLF. “Collaboration, vigilance, and proactive measures are essential to secure a trusted telecom ecosystem. Operators must continue investing in prevention and leveraging innovative tools to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated schemes.”

Mapping the future of fraud prevention

Structured into six sections, the GLF Fraud Report 2025 explores the evolution of fraud management across voice, messaging, and unwanted traffic, and provides practical guidance on strengthening defences through data sharing and AI-driven tools. It also highlights the importance of aligning fraud prevention with corporate governance and the GLF Code of Conduct to drive greater transparency across the industry.

The report concludes that while the telecom sector is making tangible progress in identifying and mitigating fraud, continued vigilance and collaboration will be key to achieving a truly resilient, fraud-free ecosystem.

Download the full report

The GLF Fraud Report 2025 is now available to download now.

About the GLF

The Global Leaders’ Forum (GLF) is a network of senior executives from the world’s leading telecom operators, working together to drive collaboration, innovation, and trust across the international connectivity ecosystem. Through initiatives like the GLF Code of Conduct and the annual Fraud Report, the GLF promotes standards and best practices to strengthen the integrity of global communications.