O2 issues urgent 3 rule warning and tells all phone users to 'stay vigilant'

O2 warning as scams are on the rise (Image: GETTY)

The UK network has even created what it calls an 'AI Granny' robot - called Daisy - who has been designed to chat to the scammers and find out their sneaky tricks. Along with keeping the crooks on the phone so they can't hurt real people, Daisy is discovering how to stay safe.

O2 says Daisy combines various AI models which work together to listen and respond to fraudulent calls instantaneously and is so lifelike it has successfully kept numerous fraudsters on calls for 40 minutes at a time.

So what has this digital granny discovered and how can you avoid the next scam?

Martin Lewis warns viewers to be careful of scammers

There are three rules to make sure your data and money doesn't end up in the hands of hackers.

The first thing to watch out for are scammers using a script in a bid to trick you. They often work from fake call centres and say things such as you are entitled to a cheap iPhone deal.

"Scamming people is a full-time job, and fraudsters are operating from call centres specifically set up to target victims," O2 revealed.

"On multiple occasions, Daisy heard the same well-rehearsed lines from different scammers. Fraudsters even began to recognise her, indicating they’re operating together and sharing knowledge of their triumphs and failures."

The next thing to note are calls that impersonate trusted companies and use high-pressure tactics.

"Daisy repeatedly heard scammers claiming to be from banks, well-known organisations like Amazon and Microsoft, delivery companies and the government," O2 explained.

"This is a way for scammers to cast their net as wide as possible, using some of the most trusted companies that consumers deal with regularly."

Once the fraudsters believed Daisy trusted that they were who they said they were, scammers often employed high-pressure tactics – including threatening the imminent loss of money, claiming there’s been a hacker on Daisy’s computer or even threatening legal action.

Finally, listen to the caller and see how they react to you.

O2 says that Daisy often found the scammers got cross or frustrated when she said "no", which is something official call centres would never do.

"Scam callers would typically start off friendly and personable in tone but the longer they spent on the phone they’d quickly begin to switch and show their true colours," O2 said.

"Daisy might not actually be a real person – but the scammers don’t know that. From clearly showing signs of frustration if she struggled to follow the instructions or yelling at her for going off on a tangent about her cat, Daisy frequently experienced rude and aggressive behaviour. This was particularly clear when Daisy was not doing as they wanted."

• O2 is now urging users to follow three rules including to be cautious and stop if asked for personal data or things feel suspicious.

• Also, send any suspicious messages to 7726 so scams can be shut down.

• Finally, O2 says users should speak out and share their scam stories in a bid to help others.