Phone fraud is a real plague of our time, which can affect both older people and younger generations. Phone fraudsters use modern technology and psychological manipulation techniques to extort personal data, money, or confidential information. This problem affects millions of people around the world, and its scale is growing from year to year.
The British operator Virgin Media O2 decided to act by creating Daisy-a unique AI chatbot that not only wastes the time of scammers, but also raises public awareness about the threats of phone phishing. Daisy is proof that modern technology can be used for noble purposes, such as protecting the most vulnerable and vulnerable people.
Daisy: A virtual AI grandmother who makes life harder for scammers
Daisy, developed by Virgin Media O2, is a chatbot based on advanced artificial intelligence algorithms that aims to paralyze the actions of phone scammers. Daisy, designed to mimic conversations with a typical older person, uses her ‘technological ignorance’ as a weapon. They respond politely to scammers ‘ questions, complicating the conversation, asking them to repeat instructions, or confusing details.
The AI was designed to mirror the natural conversations of an older person – it includes numerous pauses, corrections, and even stories from everyday life, such as memories of grandchildren or knitting. In this way, Daisy not only distracts scammers, but also forces them to spend time that they might have spent phishing data from others.
One of Daisy’s biggest advantages is her ability to have multiple conversations at once, so she can constantly block the actions of dozens of scammers. This is an innovative solution that combines technology with social education, informing users about the dangers of phone phishing.
How does Daisy work?
Daisy’s work is based on advanced artificial intelligence technologies that allow her to conduct smooth, realistic conversations in real time. The process starts with speech recognition-the system converts the scammer’s statements into text, analyzes them, and then generates a response that matches the context of the conversation.
One of the most important elements of Daisy is the generative AI model, which allows you to create answers that match the character’s personality. The responses are then converted to speech using text – to-speech technology that mimics the voice of an elderly person.
Daisy’s voice is warm, calm and full of natural intonation, which makes it very believable. Daisy is able to have conversations for a long time. He often repeats questions, mixes up information, or introduces new topics that make scammers be patient. For example, when a scammer asks for bank details, Daisy replies that she needs to find her glasses before she starts talking about her beloved fluffy cat. In this way, the conversation loses consistency, and the scammers become increasingly frustrated.
Moreover, Daisy can conduct several such conversations simultaneously, using cloud scalability technology. In this way, it can block hundreds of fraud attempts every day, increasing the security of users.
Efficiency in numbers: Does Daisy work?
Daisy’s performance has been confirmed by Virgin Media O2, which boasts of the results of its innovative design. According to the data, in one day Daisy was able to answer hundreds of calls from scammers, and in some cases calls lasted up to an hour. This means that the scammers were unable to contact other victims.
The ‘turn down scammers’ campaign has drawn attention to the problem of phone fraud in the UK, where a whopping 71% of residents admitted that they would like to repay the scammers for their actions. Daisy perfectly meets these expectations by offering a solution that not only protects, but also educates. The operator says that one in five Britons experience fraud attempts at least once a week, which makes the Daisy project extremely relevant from a social point of view.
Fighting phone fraud: Why is it so important?
Phone fraud is one of the biggest threats in the modern digital world. Fraudsters are using increasingly advanced technologies, such as phone number spoofing, to impersonate trusted institutions such as banks or offices. Victims, often elderly people, are subjected to emotional manipulation that leads to phishing of personal information or money.
In Poland, more than 1,750 cases of granddaughter-in-law fraud were registered in 2024, which indicates that the problem affects not only the UK, but also other countries. Many older people do not have access to knowledge about new technologies, which makes them particularly vulnerable to such actions. Daisy is the answer to the need to protect these most vulnerable social groups.
In addition to wasting scammers ‘ time, the Daisy project raises public awareness of phishing threats on the phone. Its action reminds users that you should never share sensitive data with people whose identity cannot be verified. This allows Daisy to not only block scammers, but also educate the public.
Resume
Daisy is an innovative combination of technology and social responsibility, which proves that AI can be used to deal with the real problems of the modern world. Thanks to its ability to block phone scammers, virtual granny helps protect thousands of people from phishing attacks while raising public awareness of the threats.
However, the Daisy project is more than just a technological tool – it is also a symbol of a new approach to cybersecurity that combines education, innovation and practical solutions. O2 shows that protecting users is not only a technical issue, but also a struggle for their peace of mind and safety in everyday life.
While Daisy may not completely solve the problem of phone fraud, her actions remind everyone to always be careful and not trust every person who calls from an unknown number. The virtual grandmother is an example of how technology can work for the benefit of society, protecting those who need it most.
With projects like Daisy, the future of anti-fraud is brighter, and scammers have a new, relentless opponent. Ultimately, the technology shows that it can be not only innovative, but also sensitive and practical in its application.
