O2 has launched a campaign featuring a scambaiting chatbot to combat phone scammers, following data from the mobile network that revealed one in five people in the UK face fraud attempts weekly.

Created by VCCP’s AI-focused agency Faith, the campaign stars Daisy, an AI designed to engage scammers in conversation.

The campaign includes a two-minute video showcasing Daisy’s abilities, alongside shorter 30-second clips intended for platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

Former Love Island star and scam victim Amy Hart joins forces with Daisy in the video, with O2 hoping her involvement resonates with Gen Z audiences, who may often feel too savvy to fall for scams.

Simon Valcarcel, Virgin Media O2 marketing director, stated, “At O2, we’ve been investing heavily in the fightback against fraud and this campaign demonstrates the lengths we’re willing to go to keep our customers safe. I’m thrilled to launch the newest member of our fraud team, Daisy: She’s our secret weapon against scammers – indistinguishable from a real person, an AI hiding in plain sight, dedicated to wasting fraudsters’ time!”

“Yet she also shows no matter how persuasive callers seem, they aren’t always who you think they are – so we all must remain vigilant. With scammers running full-time call centres specifically to target Brits, we’re urging everyone to leave the scambaiting to the professionals and instead help by forwarding dodgy calls and messages to 7726 for free.”