With one in five Brits experiencing a fraud attempt every week, the fight against scammers has never been more critical. In response, O2 and VCCP London’s AI creative agency, Faith, have launched a groundbreaking campaign to combat fraudsters using an innovative tool: Daisy, an AI-powered “granny” designed to waste scammers’ time and expose their tactics.
Meet Daisy: The AI Scambaiter
At the heart of this campaign is Daisy, a lifelike Conversational AI character created to engage with scammers on the phone and keep them occupied for as long as possible. Daisy was inspired by a real-life grandmother of a VCCP employee, making her voice and personality incredibly believable. The goal? To play into scammers’ own biases—many of whom target older adults—while preventing them from reaching real victims.
How Daisy Works
Daisy interacts with scammers in real-time, ensuring that no suspicions are raised on the other end of the line. She tells long-winded stories about her family, discusses her passion for knitting, and even provides fake personal information like made-up bank details. By doing so, she wastes scammers’ time, keeping them away from genuine targets.O2 collaborated with renowned UK scambaiter Jim Browning to equip Daisy with the best tactics for engaging fraudsters. Some scammers have stayed on the phone with Daisy for over 40 minutes, believing they were defrauding a real person.
The Impact of Daisy’s Work
This campaign is part of O2’s broader efforts to protect its customers from fraud. By exposing common scam tactics through Daisy’s interactions, O2 hopes to educate the public on how to recognize and avoid scams.
Key Highlights:
- Real-Time Engagement: Daisy can interact with scammers 24/7, preventing them from targeting real people.
- Educational Campaign: The campaign highlights key scam tactics and offers tips on how consumers can protect themselves.
- Celebrity Involvement: Reality TV star Amy Hart, who was once a victim of fraud herself, has partnered with O2 to raise awareness about the dangers of scams.
Why This Matters
Fraudsters often target vulnerable individuals, especially older adults. By using an AI character like Daisy to waste their time, O2 is not only protecting potential victims but also raising awareness about how these scams operate. As fraud continues to rise in the UK—with 22% of Brits receiving scam attempts weekly—this innovative approach could help reduce the number of successful scams.
How You Can Protect Yourself from Scams
While Daisy is doing her part to keep scammers busy, there are steps you can take to protect yourself:
- Be Skeptical of Unsolicited Calls or Messages: If you receive an unexpected call or message asking for personal information or payment details, hang up and verify directly with the company.
- Never Share Personal Information Over the Phone: Legitimate companies will never ask for sensitive information like bank account numbers or passwords over the phone.
- Report Suspicious Activity: Forward any suspicious calls or messages to 7726 (SPAM) for free in the UK.
For more tips on staying safe from fraudsters and securing your personal information online, visit Secure Home Network for expert advice and cybersecurity solutions tailored to individuals and families.
External Sources
- Creative Boom – Daisy the AI Granny Scambaiter
- Hindustan Times – Meet Daisy, AI Chatbot That Thwarts Scammers
- O2 Anti-Fraud Tips
By staying informed and vigilant—and leveraging innovative tools like Daisy—you can help protect yourself from falling victim to increasingly sophisticated scams.