Meet Daisy: The AI Grandma Fighting Back Against Scammers

Technology has stepped up to level the playing field in a world where fraud and scams are rampant. Meet Daisy, the AI-generated grandmother British phone company Virgin Media O2 developed to frustrate scammers and keep them occupied, preventing them from targeting real people. Daisy's sole purpose is to engage scammers in lengthy, irrelevant conversations, wasting their time while subtly drawing attention to the perils of phone fraud.

Launched on November 14, Daisy has already had over 1,000 interactions with scammers, with the most extended call lasting around 40 minutes. Her strategy? Pretending to be a tech-illiterate grandma with endless stories about her grandchildren, daily chores, and hobbies like knitting. As Murray Mackenzie, Virgin Media O2's director of fraud, says, "Daisy is turning the tables on scammers—outsmarting and outmaneuvering them at their own cruel game simply by keeping them on the line."

At its core, Daisy uses large AI language models similar to ChatGPT combined with text-to-speech technology. When a scammer calls, Daisy listens, converts their speech to text, and searches its vast database for an appropriate response. The response is then delivered in Daisy's voice, all within seconds, with no human intervention required. This seamless interaction frustrates scammers while keeping them occupied, effectively reducing the time they can spend targeting others.

To ensure Daisy gets plenty of scam calls, Virgin Media O2 worked with known scam artists to "seed" her phone number onto online "mug lists," databases scammers use to find potential victims. The company hopes Daisy will not only waste scammers' time but also remind consumers to remain vigilant about phone fraud. "No matter how persuasive someone on the other end of the phone may be, they aren't always who you think they are," Mackenzie warned.

Fraud is a growing concern in the UK, where 69% of the population reports being targeted by scammers. Virgin Media O2 intercepted over £250 million in suspected fraudulent transactions last year. Rob Orr, COO of Virgin Media O2, highlighted the scale of the problem, describing fraud as an epidemic. "Organized gangs of fraudsters operate professional call centers relentlessly targeting Brits every second of every day," Orr said.

While Daisy combats scams, scammers also leverage AI to amplify their attacks. One alarming tactic involves AI-generated "voice clones," which use audio snippets to mimic a person's voice. These clones have been used to commit bank and wire fraud and, in extreme cases, to orchestrate fake ransom schemes by tricking victims into believing their loved ones have been kidnapped.

AI tools like Daisy could significantly mitigate these scams by tying up scammers in conversations. However, scammers also advance their techniques, creating a continuous technological tug-of-war. For example, Google recently introduced an AI feature on Pixel phones that can detect scam patterns during phone calls, alerting users to suspicious activity like urgent requests for money or bank details.

Consumer vigilance remains crucial as AI becomes a double-edged sword in the battle against fraud. Virgin Media O2 advises users to scrutinize links, avoid sharing sensitive information over the phone, and remain skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true. "We never call customers to ask for full passwords, one-time passcodes, or bank details," O2 emphasized.

Tools like Daisy demonstrate the potential of AI to counteract fraudsters' tactics while raising awareness about phone scams. By frustrating scammers and keeping them occupied, Daisy protects potential victims and offers a glimpse of how AI can be used creatively to tackle modern challenges. As the battle between technology and fraud intensifies, Daisy is a quirky yet effective ally in the fight against scams.