CelcomDigi has enhanced its network-level scam protection with a new voice firewall that detects and flags suspicious calls in real time before customers engage with them. The safeguard is now available nationwide, adding another layer of protection for the telco’s more than 20 million customers.
The technology is integrated directly into the telco’s core network, allowing it to analyse call traffic patterns and risk indicators to identify potentially malicious or fraudulent activity. Depending on the assessed risk, suspicious calls can either be blocked before reaching customers or marked with a “Suspected Scam” warning on their phones.
355 Million Suspicious Calls Detected
During a recent pilot, CelcomDigi says the voice firewall detected 355 million malicious and suspicious call attempts, including 217 million robocalls. Following its nationwide rollout in July, incoming calls identified as suspicious are now accompanied by the “Suspected Scam” alert to help customers decide whether to answer.
The telco adds that the voice firewall complements its existing SMS firewall, which operates at network level to detect and filter malicious and prohibited messages. Together, the safeguards are designed to identify threats before they reach customers rather than relying solely on users to recognise scams after receiving them.
Part Of Wider Anti-Scam Push
The voice firewall rollout follows several other digital safety initiatives from CelcomDigi this year. In July, the telco partnered with IPification to offer network-based phone number verification for digital platforms, allowing them to verify that a mobile number is genuinely associated with a user without relying on SMS one-time passwords.
That service is intended to help platforms tackle fake and duplicate accounts, account takeovers and identity fraud, while also providing stronger signals for fraud detection and moderation. CelcomDigi said the collaboration builds on its existing portfolio of trusted network APIs, including phone number verification services offered through Google Firebase.
The telco also offers consumer-facing security products such as MobileSHIELD and WebSHIELD. The former provides device-level protection against scams, malicious apps and privacy threats, while the latter works at the network level to block phishing attempts, fake websites and malicious downloads.
(Source: CelcomDigi press release)
