Businesses Scale AI-Powered Defenses to Counter Surge in Automated Fraud

New research from Infobip reveals a growing surge in AI-powered fraud and enterprise defenses. Analyzing billions of interactions globally, Infobip’s 2026 Fraud & Security Report highlights a year of dramatic contrasts.

There have been record volumes of blocked fraudulent traffic alongside the rapid scaling of intelligent, AI-powered defenses. The report reveals that while fraudsters are using AI to scale and personalize harmful messaging, leading to a 77% increase in detected threats, businesses are responding in kind. Adoption of AI-powered fraud detection grew by 71% year-on-year, while pattern-based detection increased by 105%, underscoring a shift toward adaptive security.

”Fraudsters are using AI to automate and scale campaigns faster than ever, but AI-powered protection is evolving just as fast. The significant growth in AI-driven detection proves that leading organizations are no longer treating security as an afterthought; they are building it directly into their communication infrastructure,” said Matija Ražem, Chief Commercial Telecom Officer at Infobip.

The report also highlights distinct fraud trends emerging across the Asia Pacific region. Across APAC, enterprises are navigating an increasingly complex fraud environment as digital engagement and mobile-first banking continue to accelerate. At the network level, APAC is among the most technologically advanced regions based on Infobip data. Operator firewalls are highly automated, while mature AI-powered detection models can identify and block most threats without human intervention.

At the enterprise level, however, OTP-based fraud remains a significant challenge in several key markets. Certain territories continue to record elevated suspicious authentication rates, indicating structural fraud patterns rather than isolated campaigns. Regulatory scrutiny is also intensifying across the region. In countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and India, regulators have introduced stronger authentication requirements, reflecting a broader regional shift toward treating SMS OTP vulnerabilities as both a security and compliance priority. This growing focus on fraud prevention is driving stronger enterprise action across APAC.

”In APAC’s rapidly growing digital economy, trust is emerging as a key competitive advantage, and businesses need to make Network APIs a core part of their fraud prevention and authentication strategy. Companies should consider leveraging Network APIs’ capabilities such as Number Verify, SIM Swap detection, KYC Match, and Device Location Verification to better stay ahead of evolving threats while delivering seamless customer experiences. By taking this a step further and orchestrating these capabilities through a CPaaS platform, businesses can create a centralized, resilient security framework that helps reduce fraud without disrupting the user experience,” said Goran Valjak, Director of Telecom Growth and Strategy Asia at Infobip.