A new weapon against fraud has been revealed: an AI grandmother named Daisy who has been named “fraud relations manager”.
Deployed by Virgin Media O2Daisy’s main mission is to engage scammers in endless conversations, wasting their time and reducing their chances of contacting real people.
Developed using AI technology and with the expertise of famous YouTube scammer Jim Browning, Daisy convincingly mimics human interactions during calls. Once activated, the AI robot interacts autonomously with fraudsters, proving capable of holding their attention for 40 minutes without requiring intervention from its creators.
Daisy’s unique approach combines multiple AI models to instantly process and respond to scam calls. Her success in tricking scammers into targeting her rather than their victims has become a key aspect of Virgin Media O2’s ongoing ‘Swerve the Scammers’ campaign.
Britain is increasingly concerned about fraud, with 67% of individuals concerned about being targeted and 22% receiving threats every week. 71% of Brits are willing to retaliate against those who try to scam them or their loved ones.
Daisy has already been operational for several weeks before International Fraud Awareness Week (November 17-23), luring scammers with family stories, knitting passions and false personal information like fake banking information. Through these interactions, Daisy not only protects potential victims of scams, but also enlightens consumers about the tactics of fraudsters.
Celebrity influencer and reality TV star Amy Hart teamed up with Daisy in a promotional video aimed at exposing scam tactics. Hart shares his own experience, recounting how an alleged bank call on the morning of a friend’s wedding led to more than £5,000 being stolen from his account within minutes. The ordeal pushed Hart to spread awareness about the scams, using her platform to keep others informed and safe.
Reflecting on his experience, Hart said: “I know first-hand how sophisticated malicious fraudsters can be, which is why I teamed up with O2 and AI scammer Daisy for their make the fight, keeping them busy with calls that lead nowhere. .
“But as much as I love liquidations, it’s scary to see the lengths scammers will go to steal everything from passwords to bank details, no matter who they’re talking to. Whether young or old, anyone can be scammed, so you can never be too careful when it comes to unexpected calls or texts.
Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud at Virgin Media O2, commented: “We are committed to playing our part in stopping fraudsters, investing in everything from firewall technology to block fraudulent SMS messages to detection AI-based spam calls to keep our customers safe. .”
Daisy doesn’t just serve to deter fraudsters. The initiative serves to remind the public of the importance of skepticism when receiving unsolicited calls.
“With scammers operating full-time call centers specifically to target Brits, we urge everyone to remain vigilant and help stop fraud by forwarding dodgy calls and texts to 7726 for free,” added Mackenzie.
Virgin Media O2 is strengthening its existing fraud prevention measures, such as AI-based tools and caller ID services, available free of charge to customers.
Despite these efforts, the telecommunications giant urges the public to avoid personal scams and report suspicious calls and messages to the 7726 service. This helps make it easier to investigate and block fraudulent numbers, improving the overall efficiency of the systems existing fraud prevention systems. Last year, Virgin Media O2 said it blocked 89 million fraudulent text messages, largely helped by reporting to 7726.
O2 has launched ‘Swerve the Scammers’, a dedicated webpage offering tips and advice to help consumers protect themselves against scams. The company also called for wider efforts to tackle fraud, urging the government to appoint a minister responsible for fraud and establish a national policing body to deal with the problem comprehensively.
Statistics from Virgin Media O2 underline the urgency of these actions: almost seven in ten Britons have been targeted by scams, and last year alone the company intercepted more than £250 million in potential fraudulent transactions. These figures equate to one transaction every two minutes, highlighting the need for a coordinated national response to effectively protect the public.
“If you have any doubt about who you’re talking to, the best thing to do is hang up and call back at a reliable number,” says Hart.
(Image credit: Virgin Media O2)
See also: Chinese hackers hack telecom operators in espionage campaign
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