A few years ago, I witnessed a classic scam that originated decades ago, but I am sure is still making the rounds today. A white panel van pulls up in a parking lot, and two guys approach with an incredible offer: premium speakers or electronics “falling off the truck” at unbelievable prices. They seemed legitimate. They had the goods right there. They had some explanation that made sense. But it was all a con. The speakers rarely worked, the electronics were worthless junk placed in the boxes of high-end brands, and by the time you realized you’d been scammed, the van was gone.
Those scams worked because they exploited trust and urgency. They worked because they seemed real in the moment. But scammers are nothing if not adaptable. They’ve simply moved their operation online and shifted their target. Today, instead of parking lots, they’re calling and texting phone numbers. Instead of selling fake speakers, they’re claiming to be from your bank or a government agency. And instead of targeting random shoppers, they’re systematically hunting for vulnerable people, particularly older adults.
The tactics have evolved, but the goal remains the same: exploit trust, create urgency, and disappear with the money.
The Problem: Phone Scams and Older Adults
The scope of phone scam fraud is staggering. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, fraud in Canada cost Canadians $638 million in 2024 compared to $578 million in 2023. Scammers specifically target older adults because they exploit stereotypes by incorrectly assuming they’re easier to manipulate or less tech-savvy. It’s a cruel and persistent problem that costs billions annually worldwide.
But what if the perfect target turned out to be artificial? Enter Daisy, an AI-powered grandmother designed to waste scammers’ time and protect real people from fraud.
The Solution: An AI Granny Turns the Tables
In November 2024, UK mobile provider Virgin Media O2 launched an unexpected weapon against fraudsters: Daisy. Developed in collaboration with YouTube scambaiter Jim Browning, Daisy is an AI chatbot programmed to sound exactly like someone’s grandmother, complete with rambling stories, a fictional cat named Fluffy, and an endless supply of patience.
Here’s the brilliant strategy. Daisy’s phone number was deliberately added to “mugs lists” (databases that scammers use to identify potential victims). When fraudsters call, they think they’ve reached an easy target. Instead, they get Daisy.
How Daisy Works
The technology behind Daisy is sophisticated. Multiple AI models work in concert: voice-to-text transcription captures the scammer’s words, a language model generates conversational responses, and a text-to-speech system delivers those responses in a convincingly elderly female voice. All of this happens in real-time, making the conversation feel completely natural.
Daisy engages scammers with meandering conversations about her grandchildren, her passion for knitting, and her daily activities. When pressed for personal information, she provides false bank details and fabricated credit card numbers which keeps the scammers believing they’re on the verge of success.
The result? Scammers stay on the line. Recording clips show frustrated fraudsters spending 40 minutes or longer trying to get information from Daisy, growing increasingly exasperated as she circles back to stories about her garden or her cat.
The Real Impact
Every minute a scammer wastes on Daisy is a minute they’re not targeting a real person. That’s the core of Daisy’s mission: to intercept fraudulent calls and frustrate criminals at their own game. But there’s more to it than simple time-wasting. By maintaining these calls, Daisy also exposes common scam tactics. The conversations reveal how fraudsters operate, what information they seek, and how they manipulate victims. This intelligence helps educate the public about real dangers and how to protect themselves.
While Daisy alone can’t eliminate phone scams, she represents an innovative turning point in fraud prevention. As AI technology continues to evolve, tools like Daisy show promise in the battle against fraud.
Thanks for reading,