The Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) has announced a joint Memorandum of Understanding combined with an exclusive executive exchange workshop, bringing together leading CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service) providers to define a unified strategy against fraud in business messaging.
This marks the first event of its kind, with C-level representatives from across the global CPaaS ecosystem meeting under MEF’s neutral governance to agree on the key principles of a new collaborative framework that will underpin the industry’s fight against fraud and ensure the sustainability of A2P SMS.
A Shared Challenge
Fraud continues to threaten the credibility and value of A2P SMS, from smishing and spoofing attacks targeting consumers, to Artificially Inflated Traffic (AIT) practices that erode enterprise trust and damage ROI.
As costs rise and confidence falls, many brands are questioning the channel’s long-term viability, while regulators are stepping up scrutiny across telecom and banking sectors.
A Collective Response
The complexity of the messaging ecosystem, with multiple intermediaries between brands, platforms, and mobile operators — has long made fraud difficult to address.
MEF’s initiative brings leading CPaaS players together to collaborate openly, share intelligence, and work towards a coordinated, industry-wide approach to fraud prevention.
The initial signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding include Bandwidth, Infobip, Sinch, Comviva, MMD Smart, Haud, RD Communications, Aviso Messaging, KOMPaaS Tech, Telesystems, and Lanck Telecom, with more expected to sign in the coming weeks.
Together, they are committed to defining and implementing shared solutions to protect enterprises, consumers, and the integrity of A2P SMS.
The MEF Executive Exchange met in Rome to kick-off the first major step in this important journey.
The meeting established the foundations for the first official documentation to be used to tackle these issues collaboratively; a framework that will evolve, in the coming months, into the MEF Anti-Fraud in Messaging Charter
Once completed this Charter will set a common roadmap for collaboration, built around five strategic Accords:
Data Sharing – Enabling trusted, privacy-safe exchange of fraud intelligence.
Anti-AIT (Artificially Inflated Traffic) – Promoting transparent practices to detect and prevent manipulation.
P2P SMS Protection – Addressing spam and phishing through ecosystem cooperation.
A2P SMS Protection – Securing the channel against sender ID spoofing.
Identity Verification – Defining baseline standards for trust across the messaging chain.
Setting the Stage for Industry Change
While MEF’s best practice guides have long provided education and alignment across the sector, this new framework moves from principle to practice, ensuring tangible commitments and shared accountability.
“The A2P messaging ecosystem is under considerable strain,” said Dario Betti, CEO of MEF. “We’ve reached a point where isolated action is no longer enough. The Rome session represents a turning point, the industry’s first unified step towards a trusted and sustainable messaging future.”
