"Working with a business that has a good incentive structure is everything. Prelude's business model immediately builds trust."
Noah, Founder of Nymph

Nymph is a dating app designed to foster inclusion and help people discover authentic connections. The platform prioritizes real, human interaction, making identity verification critical to user trust.

Nymph uses Prelude for OTP SMS verification, sending thousands of messages globally to ensure new accounts are legitimate and the community stays safe and genuine.

The Challenge: Fighting Fraud in a New Age of AI

As a fast-growing dating app, Nymph faces a universal challenge: keeping the platform authentic and safe while scaling user growth.

With AI making it easier than ever to create fake profiles, Nymph needed reliable verification processes for new signups.

At first, they juggled multiple SMS providers manually. They used cheaper ones for volume and more expensive ones for reliability. But with growing scam attempts and invisible failures, the process became unsustainable.

Noah pointed out that fighting fraud is a constant challenge.

Staying ahead means combining multiple signals, from phone numbers and IP addresses to device patterns and user behavior.

"We spent 40 to 50 percent of our backend engineering time on fake account detection."

Fraud was not just a user trust issue. It was a critical business survival issue.

Nymph’s Strategic Move: Smarter Fraud Protection Through Aligned Incentives

Nymph was not actively looking to switch SMS providers until Prelude reached out with a sharp insight on scam traffic patterns.

However, the real appeal was not just about messaging quality. It was about alignment of incentives.

"Prelude has no perverse incentives. Their model is built around actually reducing spam and improving deliverability, not profiting off retries."

Three things stood out to Nymph:

• Multiple Carriers, One Provider: Nymph could leverage several SMS vendors seamlessly through Prelude without manual fallback setups. Prelude’s API help companies connects to 30 carriers and 4 messaging channels across 230 countries

• Transparent Pricing: Prelude passes carrier rates directly to customers and earns by delivering better service, not selling more messages.

• Anti-Spam Alignment: Prelude’s model rewards lower fraud instead of higher SMS volume.

Implementing Prelude: Smooth and Strategic

Switching to Prelude was not just about swapping vendors. It was about simplifying operations.

• Integration was fast and straightforward
  "Very simple. No blockers."
  
  

• Toll fraud dropped dramatically
  Nymph experienced a clear reduction in fake SMS attempts, cutting unnecessary costs and reducing user risks.
  
  

• Dashboards offered real-time insights
  While the team does not monitor dashboards daily, they perform quick checks during onboarding dips to stay ahead of potential issues.
  
  

• Multi-Signal Defense Strengthened
  Prelude’s transparent delivery metrics allowed Nymph to layer SMS verification data alongside internal fraud signals like VPN detection, VoIP number checks, device movement tracking, and facial recognition.

This multi-signal approach made their fraud defenses much more resilient.

"Even with strong defenses, bad actors constantly evolve. Staying ahead means collecting multiple signals and adapting fast."

The Results: Safer Growth Without Extra Complexity

"It wasn’t about just saving money. It was about upgrading to a service that gave us fraud prevention, transparency, and seamless routing, all in one place. That made it an easy yes."

Advice to Other Apps Facing the Same Battle

When asked what he would tell other companies considering Prelude, Noah explained:

"In SMS, most providers have broken incentives. Prelude actually wants you to succeed. They save you time, protect your users, and make your life easier."

In a landscape full of evolving fraud tactics, Nymph found a partner in Prelude that not only delivers messages but actively helps fight a constant battle for user trust.

In a world of spam and noise, authenticity wins.