It’s always important to stay informed about how fraud can take shape and potentially harm your business. And by taking a few simple security measures, you can ensure continued security and smooth operations. To support you, we have collected some information and practical steps on how to enhance your protection against one type of fraud: Artificial Inflation of Traffic (AIT).
What is Artificial Inflation of Traffic (AIT)?
AIT is a form of SMS fraud that creates high volumes of fake traffic through mobile apps or websites. As the owner of the application, you might end up covering the costs for messages that were sent. Fraudsters often target long-distance destinations, as international messages with higher delivery fees generate more profit.
What are the best practices for me as a retailer?
Start by identifying all the potential entry points that malicious entities could exploit, including custom-built forms, API integrations, and third-party tools used for data collection. Once you've completed this mapping, there are a few simple security measures you, as a retailer, can take.
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Implement validation mechanisms and double opt-in processes – increases the chances that only interested customers receive marketing information
Secure all your identified entry points with a control layer, such as CAPTCHA or other validation mechanisms. A double opt-in is the process whereby a contact confirms their sign-up for marketing communication. Read more about best practices in contact creation here. -
Allowlist – reduce the likelihood of sending SMS to erroneous or international numbers
In our product Engage, you can implement an allowlist on registration forms to validate phone numbers based on specified country codes. This will reduce the likelihood of sending SMS to erroneous or international numbers. You can also use segmentation in automation processes to target specific audiences, which minimizes the risk of unnecessary SMS dispatches. Read more about how to control your SMS send-outs and how to implement it here. -
Contact limit – control the number of emails and text messages
With the Contact limit split function in Engage, you can take and keep control of the number of emails, text messages, and other activities within your automation flows. It allows you to control how many contacts proceed down a specific branch to receive messages like emails or SMS. You can set a maximum number of contacts and choose whether this limit applies daily, monthly, or without a time restriction. Read more about Contact limit splits and how to implement it here, -
Company insurance – protect your business if it occurs
A company insurance policy often includes coverage for financial losses, helping to safeguard your business and mitigate the financial impact of fraud-related incidents – if it occurs.
If you want to read more about how to tackle AIT fraud, check out our blog post here.
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