Groundbreaking New AI Grandma Fights Digital Scammers

Unfortunately, we live at a time when phone and online scams, particularly targeting older people, are at an all-time high.

That’s why a game-changing attempt to tackle digital fraud was initiated recently by the UK’s Virgin Media O2. The new scheme involves an AI-powered “grandmother” called Daisy.
Daisy is designed to outwit and exhaust phone scammers by engaging in long conversations with them, therefore stopping them from scamming genuine customers.

This truly innovative and novel solution has come at a crucial time as a staggering 22 percent of Britons have admitted that they have faced fraud attempts at least on a weekly basis. A recent survey showed that two out of three people in the UK say that they are concerned about becoming a victim of a phone or online fraud.

AI grandma to fight scammers at a time of rapid increase of scams

The situation has become exceptionally bad in recent years. According to the FBI, in 2023 alone, Americans over 60 lost a staggering $3.4 billion to scams, an 11 percent increase from 2022.

Common scams include tech support fraud, romance scams and investment fraud which are aimed at older people who are not as familiar with new technologies as younger generations.

According to the same FBI report, the average loss per victim in the US in 2023 was $33,915, with some individuals losing over $100,000.

Daisy, created in partnership with the well-known scambaiter Jim Browning, is a sophisticated AI program that engages fraudsters in complex, meandering talks that last for hours at a time.

How will Daisy fight scammers?

Using powerful natural language processing, Daisy creates lifelike, human-like dialogues that can keep scammers on the line for long periods of time.

Her elaborate technique enables her to offer fake but believable personal information. Daisy engages with the scammers in giving information about her supposed family, hence intentionally positioning herself on scammer contact lists as a possible susceptible target.

The technical sophistication of the new AI grandma who fights scammers is astounding. Daisy’s solution employs numerous AI models to transcribe incoming voice conversations to text and generate contextually relevant responses in real-time.

Daisy is able to use a bespoke “personality layer” to transform responses back to speech in real-time, making scammers genuinely believe that they are talking to a real person. Her voice, precisely modelled after a genuine grandmother, incorporates tiny subtleties such as hesitations and coughs, making her nearly indistinguishable from a human caller.

Aside from direct scammer interference, Daisy can also be used in a variety of other cases. One of these is that she plays an important role in boosting fraud awareness, revealing common scam tactics and educating the public about digital security. At a time when so many people face devastating financial consequences because of online scams, it is important for people to be aware of the dangers.

Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud at Virgin Media O2, said recently that Daisy is “turning the tables on scammers—outsmarting and outmanoeuvring them at their own cruel game.”