Virgin Media O2 has introduced Daisy, an AI-powered chatbot designed to combat scams targeting vulnerable individuals. Modeled after a wise and witty grandmother, Daisy engages with scammers, wasting their time and disrupting their operations. This automated process, known as “scambaiting,” involves Daisy answering scam calls and leading fraudsters into lengthy conversations, ultimately reducing the success of scams.
Daisy was specifically created to impersonate an elderly adult, as older people are often targeted by scammers due to perceived lack of tech-savviness. With her ability to work non-stop, Daisy is a formidable opponent in preventing fraud. As she says in her introductory video, “While they’re busy talking to me, they can’t be scamming you, and let’s face it, dear, I’ve got all the time in the world.”
The AI is designed as a photorealistic elderly woman with grey hair, glasses, and pearls, chatting on a retro pink landline phone. In the video, Daisy engages with scammers, avoiding sensitive personal information while steering conversations toward topics like her cat Fluffy and knitting hobbies. Frustrated scammers are shown becoming irritated by her relentless rambling and false personal details.
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Daisy’s persona is crafted using advanced AI, including a custom large language model that transcribes and responds to callers. Virgin Media O2’s anti-fraud team ensures scammers add Daisy to their contact lists. Her persona, inspired by a real-life grandmother, proves effective in the fight against fraud.
O2 believes Daisy plays a crucial role in both disrupting scams and educating the public about fraud tactics. “By tricking criminals into thinking they are defrauding a real person and playing on their biases about older people, Daisy has exposed common scams and helped protect potential victims,” O2 stated.
