AI scam-baiting GRANNY gets revenge on dodgy callers by wasting their time rambling about family and knitting
AN AI granny is on a scam-busting mission to get revenge on fraudulent callers.
Daisy, created by O2, is a talking bot that picks up dodgy calls and wastes scammers’ time with human-like rambling.
The lifelike gran responds to the person on the other end, talking about things like family and knitting in real-time, as well as providing false personal information and made-up bank details.
It doesn’t detect and intercept scam calls as people receive them.
Instead, O2 has added Daisy’s phone number to so-called “mugs lists” used by scammers targeting UK consumers, helping to waste their time rather than calling real people.
It also exposes common tactics used so the firm can help customers better protect themselves, Virgin Media O2 said.
The scambaiting scheme appears to help, having already kept scammers on the line for more than 40 minutes in some early tests.
Former Love Island star Amy Hart, 31, is backing the campaign having been caught out by fraudsters personally.
In 2022, she revealed that she lost £5,000 after being tricked into sharing an account code.
“I know first-hand just how sophisticated nasty fraudsters can be, that’s why I’ve teamed up with O2 and AI Scambaiter Daisy to take the fight back to them, keeping them busy with calls going nowhere,” she said.
“But whilst I love a wind up, it’s scary to see the lengths scammers go to steal everything from passwords to bank details regardless of who they’re speaking to.
“Whether your young or old, anyone can be a victim of a scam that’s why we can never be too careful when it comes to unexpected calls or texts.
“If you have even the tiniest doubt about who you’re speaking to, the best thing to do is to hang up the phone and call back on a trusted number.”
Mobile networks are increasingly relying on AI tech to filter out scam calls and texts before they even reach users.
Last year alone, Virgin Media O2 blocked 89million texts.
The public are urged to forward suspected scam calls and text messages to 7726, the national fraud busting scheme which can block numbers.
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
IF you’ve lost money in a scam, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or by visiting Actionfraud.police.uk.
You should also contact your bank or credit card provider immediatley to see if they can stop or trace the cash.
If you don’t think your bank has managed your complaint correctly, or if you’re unhappy with the verdict it gives on your case you can complain to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.
Also monitor your credit report in the months following the fraud to ensure crooks don’t make further attempts to steal your cash.