The voice is soft, slightly hesitant. She talks about her family, asks for details, deliberately loses her train of thought… but she isn’t a real elderly person. On the other end of the line, a scammer thinks he’s tricked a vulnerable target. He has no idea that he’s wasting his time dealing with artificial intelligence designed to trap him.
\n\n\n\nThat is precisely the goal of Daisy (or dAIsy), the new chatbot launched by O2, the British mobile phone operator. Designed to outsmart scammers trying to defraud vulnerable people, Daisy plays the role of a digital grandmother—slow, endearing, but above all… extremely patient. Here’s how it works.
\n\n\n\nThis type of initiative follows in the footsteps of projects like Jolly Roger Telephone Co. in the United States, which use voice bots that mimic “grandmothers” to make life difficult for telephone scammers.
\n\n\n\nA creative response to a very real threat: According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), more than 2.5 million complaints about telephone scams were filed in the United States in 2024, resulting in more than $1.1 billion in losses1.
\n\n\n\nAI uses a combination of accessible yet well-coordinated technologies:
\n\n\n\nThe bot simulates a real conversation while adopting a confused yet polite tone, which encourages scammers to continue the conversation.
\n\n\n\nAccording to internal project data, Jolly Roger’s AI systems divert calls for an average of 15 to 25 minutes per call, with some calls lasting over 40 minutes2.
\n\n\n\nThis strategy falls under a new category of artificial intelligence: proactive defensive AI, which not only acts preemptively (through filtering) but also disrupts malicious activities.
\n\n\n\nRather than simply blocking calls, this AI uses the element of time to undermine the operational effectiveness of fraud networks. A scammer tied up with a fake victim cannot contact other targets—a powerful tool against mass attacks.
\n\n\n\nTests conducted on decoy numbers showed that these AI systems reduced the number of active calls by 28% in certain automated scam networks3.
\n\n\n\nBehind this mischievous idea, several important questions arise:
\n\n\n\nEven if the purpose is defensive, the tools used rely on the same technologies that power voice deepfakes or manipulative AI. This therefore calls for responsible governance, even when used for humorous or vigilante purposes.
\n\n\n\nThis project demonstrates that it is possible to repurpose artificial intelligence capabilities for creative cybersecurity applications without deploying heavy infrastructure or mobilizing industrial resources.
\n\n\n\nInstead of relying on surveillance, it draws on humor, subversion, and cunning—time-honored tactics that have been revitalized here by AI.
\n\n\n\nBeyond their tactical effectiveness, these bots also help raise public awareness about phone scams by explaining common fraudulent tactics and providing real-life examples to study.
\n\n\n\nBe sure to check out this insightful article: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Defense: The Decisive Battleground for Europe’s Autonomy
It explores how AI is redefining European defense in the face of cyber and hybrid threats, in a context similar to that of targeted phone scams—highlighting AI’s role as a tool for deterrence and citizen protection.
1. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). (2024). Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book.
\nhttps://www.ftc.gov/ \n
2. Jolly Roger Telephone Co. (2025). Grandma Bots: Stats and Outcomes.
\nhttps://jollyrogertelephone.com/\n
3. MIT CSAIL. (2025). AI Counter-Scam Systems in Telephony: A Case Study.
\nhttps://csail.mit.edu/ai-voice-defense\n
The voice is soft, slightly hesitant. She talks about her family, asks for details, deliberately loses her train of thought… but she isn’t a real elderly person. On the other end of the line, a scammer thinks he’s tricked a vulnerable target. He has no idea that he’s wasting his time dealing with artificial intelligence designed to trap him.
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