Global Telcos Urged to Support New "Scam Signal" to Help Prevent Social Engineering Fraud
JT and FICO, with support of the GSMA, are engaging telecom providers to launch groundbreaking Scam Signal
As mobile-enabled scams continue to surge worldwide, Jersey Telecom (JT) and global analytics software leader FICO, with support of the world's largest mobile industry association, GSMA, are working together to accelerate the global rollout of Scam Signal – an award-winning fraud prevention solution already delivering results for UK banks. First deployed in 2024, Scam Signal uses real-time telephony data to detect and stop scams as they happen and help to protect consumers from significant financial loss.
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The organizations are now urging mobile network operators in several countries worldwide to act swiftly and adopt the solution to help stem the rising tide of fraud. In South Africa and Spain, operators have already begun to make the solution available through APIs. The partners are reaching out to operators in the United States, Canada, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile.
More information on the APIs: https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/gsma-open-gateway/gsma-open-gateway-api-descriptions/
More information on Scam Signal: https://www.fico.com/en/latest-thinking/solution-sheet/scam-signal-real-time-scam-detection-and-prevention
According to reports from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), scams have cost the global economy over $1 trillion in 2024. Authorised Push Payment or APP fraud is recognised as the number one global fraud threat.
Scam Signal is designed to combat authorized push payment (APP) fraud, where victims are tricked into sending money to criminals. It's the first network API solution to combine real-time telephony network data with customer and payment information during live transactions – providing banks with the ability to spot the subtle signs of scams as they unfold.
Delivered through FICO® Platform, Scam Signal draws on real-time signals from mobile and landline networks to identify suspicious activity. When a threat is detected, FICO® Platform Omni-Channel Engagement Capability enables banks to intervene during the live transaction by engaging with the customer with personalized messages that help stop the fraud in its tracks. Importantly, the solution maintains a direct connection with the banks to enable any other additional action to protect their customers from harm.
Results from UK banks using Scam Signal within FICO® Platform – Omni-Channel Engagement include:
- 41% reduction in the number of people scammed
- 44% decrease in fraud losses
- 55% reduction in false positives (payments flagged as fraud that are in fact genuine)
"APP fraud is costing billions globally and eroding consumer trust — with 25% of victims leaving their bank following a fraud incident, according to a recent Juniper Research report," said Henry Howe, head of Product Development for Mobile Intelligence at JT. "We developed Scam Signal to help telcos turn network intelligence into real-time protection. It's already proven to reduce scam losses and false positives, but its impact depends on industry-wide adoption. This is a moment for mobile operators to lead — not just in connectivity, but in consumer protection."
APIs such as those provided under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative allow financial institutions to securely access mobile network data in real time within a compliant framework – a critical capability in the fight against fraud. The Scam Signal API can analyse telephony events such as impersonation calls that often precede fraudulent payment requests. By standardising these APIs across operators, the industry ensures interoperability, scalability and faster deployment of fraud prevention tools across multiple telecoms networks and financial institutions.
The GSMA will support the initiative by running a program to unite mobile operators with the financial services industry and help its members design, build and launch standardised fraud-related APIs. This will help facilitate universal adoption of the APIs and consistent protection for consumers.
"In order to protect as many consumers as possible in as many markets as possible, we need mobile network operators to support banks and enable the appropriate APIs," said Paresh Modi, senior director, GSMA Fusion. "This is another opportunity for telcos to play a direct role in stopping financial crime, protect consumers, and comply with emerging regulatory expectations."
"The fight against financial fraud is a shared responsibility," said Scott Taylor, principal consultant, FICO. "Cross-industry collaboration is paramount and major network operators together with banks need to act as innovators in the fight against fraud at a time when criminals are exploiting new technologies like AI. By fostering partnerships between major operators and banks, we can effectively combat scams and secure customer trust."
In its first full year since launching in 2024, the Scam Signal solution won the Best Anti-Fraud Solution award at the Credit & Collections Technology Awards and received the Silver Medal in the Fraud Impact Award for Best Scam and APP (Authorised Push Payment) Fraud Prevention solution from Datos Insights in 2024 and 2025. Barclays and FICO also won a 2025 Credit Award for Excellence in Fraud Prevention based on the bank's deployment of the solution through FICO® Platform - Omni-Channel Engagement Capability.
About the GSMA
The GSMA is a global organization unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop, and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy; tackling today's biggest societal challenges; underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work; and providing the world's largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events. Visit https://www.gsma.com/
About Jersey Telecom
JT is a global technology company delivering advanced fraud prevention and identity solutions through its Mobile Intelligence division. Using real-time data from mobile networks worldwide, JT supports banks and organisations in tackling APP fraud, SIM swap fraud, and account takeovers. Scam Signal, developed with UK banks and operators, combats impersonation scams and supports regulatory compliance. JT's solutions enable fast, secure identity verification and real-time KYC insights—empowering global institutions to fight financial crime and protect consumers in an increasingly digital world.
Learn more at JT International | JT International (jtglobal.com)
About FICO
FICO (NYSE:FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 200 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, insurance, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 80 countries do everything from protecting 4 billion payment cards from fraud, to improving financial inclusion, to increasing supply chain resiliency. The FICO® Score, used by 90% of top US lenders, is the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the US and has been made available in over 40 other countries, improving risk management, credit access and transparency.
Learn more at https://www.fico.com
FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
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