Switzerland's two largest telecommunications providers, Swisscom and Sunrise, have established a fraud risk consortium to exchange real-time intelligence. Supported by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, this initiative enables the companies to share digital risk signals to detect and prevent financial crime. By sharing intelligence, the providers aim to protect their digital ecosystems and customers from fraudsters who frequently pivot attacks between different network operators.
LexisNexis Risk Intelligence Consortium Implementation
The partnership utilizes the LexisNexis Risk Intelligence Consortium, a privacy-by-design framework previously used in the banking and gaming sectors. This collaborative model allows Swisscom and Sunrise to share real-time feedback on known risk signals, creating an early warning system. When one provider blocks a fraudster, the other receives immediate notification to prevent a secondary attack. In its initial three months, the consortium identified over 4,000 high-risk data attributes. This intelligence sharing resulted in a 150% uplift in fraud detection capabilities. Furthermore, the providers reported achieving an almost 100% confidence rating in their consortium-enabled fraud alerts. This proactive approach allows the telcos to manage threats before they impact the broader digital ecosystem or transition into other highly targeted sectors.
Telco Sector Fraud Risk and Vulnerabilities
The communications, mobile, and media sector faces significant fraud challenges, with 5.2% of digital interactions confirmed as fraud attacks in 2025. This rate exceeds the ecommerce sector's 4.6% and is five times higher than the financial services sector. Fraudulent activity is heavily concentrated during new account creations, where approximately 1 in 8 attempts are attacks. Additionally, payment-related fraud saw an 84% year-on-year increase. Because telcos play a central role in digital onboarding and authentication, they serve as critical early interception points. Sunrise fraud manager Anna Hayford noted that the consortium provides agility to identify emerging threats, specifically regarding high-risk devices and synthetic identities, which were difficult to manage effectively when operating in isolation.
Key Takeaways
- The consortium achieved a 150% uplift in fraud detection within its first three months.
- Telco digital interactions face a 5.2% fraud attack rate, which is five times higher than financial services.
- The initiative identified over 4,000 high-risk data attributes during its initial operational period.
TechInsyte's Take
In our view, this move by Swisscom and Sunrise signals a necessary shift toward infrastructure-level defense. As telcos become the primary gatekeepers for digital identity and authentication, they can no longer operate as isolated silos against coordinated fraud networks. By integrating real-time intelligence sharing directly into the telecommunications layer, these providers are positioning themselves as the first line of defense for the broader digital economy. This collaborative model suggests that cross-industry intelligence sharing will become a standard requirement for maintaining security in increasingly complex digital onboarding environments.
Source: PRNewswire
