Telephone scams are constantly on the rise, with automated connections, bots, and fraud on the other end of the line. But now, an AI-powered grandmother is ready to combat and reduce fraud risks, as reported by Innovation & Tech Today.
The telecommunications company O2 has created an innovative position within the company, which is called “Head of Scammer Relations.” Her name is Daisy, and she is a digital grannny whose job is to interact with scammers in real time, keeping them occupied and away from customers.
Daisy was developed using advanced AI models that combine real-time speech transcription, personalized language generation, and ultra-realistic text-to-speech technology.
Jim Browning, famous for exposing scammers on YouTube, trained Grandma Daisy and created dialogues that fool even the most persistent artists.
Daisy is programmed to respond autonomously, keeping the other end of the line occupied with topics like family stories, knitting projects, and even fabricated personal details like made-up banking information, sometimes dragging calls out for 40 minutes.
Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud at Virgin Media O2, praised Daisy’s role in turning the tide against fraud. “The newest member of our fraud prevention team, Daisy, is outwitting and outplaying scammers at their own cruel game, simply by keeping them on the line. Crucially, Daisy also serves as a reminder that no matter how persuasive the person on the other end of the line is, they’re not always who you think.”
The campaign has two faces: the digital one, Daisy, and the real one, Amy Hart, unknown outside the UK but famous in Her Majesty’s land. The Love Island reality show contestant received a call, allegedly from her bank, that resulted in the loss of over £5,000 in just a few minutes.
Amy posted a TikTok video alongside Daisy to warn viewers and urge them to be cautious when receiving unexpected calls or texts. “If you have the slightest doubt about who you’re talking to,” Amy advises, “the best thing to do is hang up the phone and call back to a trusted number.”
According to research by O2, 67% of Britons are afraid of phone scams, and 22% say they experience scam attempts every week. O2’s “Swerve the Scammers” campaign is part of its strategy to protect customers through technology and education. In 2023 alone, it prevented the transfer of over £250 million suspected of fraud.
To combat this, O2 recommends three steps:
STOP: Stop and think before sharing personal information. SEND: Forward suspicious calls or messages free of charge to 7726.
SPEAK: Share your experience with friends and family to raise awareness.
O2 has pushed the UK government to take responsibility, appointing a fraud minister and establishing a centralized national body to combat fraud at the source. “We’re doing everything we can to stop scammers,” Mackenzie said, “but curbing fraud requires cross-sector collaboration and decisive government action.”
