Daisy the AI granny tackles fraud with endless nattering

Daisy’s unique approach combines several AI models to process and respond to fraud calls instantaneously. Her success in fooling scammers into targeting her instead of victims has become a pivotal aspect of Virgin Media O2’s ongoing “Swerve the Scammers” campaign.

Britain is becoming increasingly concerned about fraud, with 67% of individuals anxious about being targeted and 22% experiencing threats weekly. 71% of Brits are keen to retaliate against those trying to scam them or their loved ones.

Daisy has already been operational for several weeks leading up to International Fraud Awareness Week (17-23 November), engaging fraudsters with tales of family, knitting passions, and erroneous personal details like fake bank information. Through these interactions, Daisy not only protects potential victims from scams but also enlightens consumers about scammers’ tactics.

Celebrity influencer and reality TV star Amy Hart has joined forces with Daisy in a promotional video aimed at exposing scam tactics. Hart shares her own experience, recounting how a supposed bank call on the morning of a friend’s wedding led to more than £5,000 being stolen from her account in minutes. This ordeal has driven Hart to spread the word about scams, using her platform to keep others informed and safe.

Reflecting on her experience, Hart said: “I know first-hand just how sophisticated nasty fraudsters can be, that’s why I’ve teamed up with O2 and AI scambaiter Daisy to take the fight back to them, keeping them busy with calls going nowhere.

“But whilst I love a wind up, it’s scary to see the lengths scammers go to steal everything from passwords to bank details regardless of who they’re speaking to. Whether you’re young or old, anyone can be a victim of a scam, that’s why we can never be too careful when it comes to unexpected calls or texts.”

Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud at Virgin Media O2, commented: “We’re committed to playing our part in stopping the scammers, investing in everything from firewall technology to block out scam texts to AI-powered spam call detection to keep our customers safe.”

Daisy doesn’t only serve to deter scammers. The initiative serves as a critical reminder to the public about the importance of scepticism when receiving unsolicited calls.

“With scammers operating full-time call centres specifically to target Brits, we’re urging everyone to remain vigilant and help play their part in stopping fraud by forwarding on dodgy calls and texts to 7726 for free,” Mackenzie added.

Virgin Media O2 is strengthening its existing fraud prevention measures, such as AI-powered tools and caller identification services, available for free to customers.

Despite these efforts, the telecoms giant is urging the public to steer clear of personal scambaiting and instead report suspect calls and messages to the 7726 service. This helps to facilitate the investigation and blocking of fraudulent numbers, enhancing the overall efficiency of existing fraud prevention systems. Last year, Virgin Media O2 said it blocked 89 million scam texts—aided significantly by reports made to 7726.

O2 has launched “Swerve the Scammers,” a dedicated webpage offering tips and advice to help consumers protect themselves from scams. The company has also called for wider efforts to combat fraud, urging the government to appoint a dedicated fraud minister and establish a national policing body to comprehensively address the issue.

The statistics from Virgin Media O2 highlight the urgency of these actions—close to seven in ten Brits have been targeted by scams, and last year alone, the company intercepted over £250 million in potential fraudulent transactions. These figures equate to one transaction every two minutes, emphasising the need for a coordinated national response to safeguard the public effectively.

“If you have even the tiniest doubt about who you’re speaking to, the best thing to do is to hang up the phone and call back on a trusted number,” says Hart.

(Image Credit: Virgin Media O2)

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Tags: ai, artificial intelligence, calls, europe, fraud, mobile, Networks, o2, scam, uk, virgin media o2