Preventing Fraud in Programmable Messaging

One of the challenges of operating globally is the increased exposure to fraud.

A common type of attack we see is SMS pumping, where fraudsters take advantage of a phone number input field to receive a one-time passcode, an app download link, or anything else via SMS. The messages are sent to a range of numbers controlled by a specific mobile network operator (MNO) and the fraudsters get a share of the generated revenue. Phone number verification and two-factor authentication (2FA) flows are often exploited for this purpose.

The attack causes inflated traffic to your app with the intent to make money and not to steal information. While the specific ways attackers monetize fraud is different, the strategies you can implement to reduce fraud are similar.

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What's next?

Here are some more resources that you might enjoy:

• What Is SMS Pumping Fraud?
• Anti-Fraud Developer Guide
• SMS Pumping Protection for Programmable Messaging
• Best practices for phone number validation during new user enrollment