Scams
AI Aunty
10 February 2025
Your digital hero, Aunty uses cutting edge tech to waste scammers time, keeping Singaporeans safe one witty conversation at a time.
Summary
AI Aunty was brought to life to waste scammers' time and make phone call scams increasingly challenging and unprofitable. It engages the scammers in long, meandering conversations, convincing them they're talking to an actual victim. Every minute a scammer spends with our voice bot is a minute they're not targeting real people. While keeping these fraudsters busy, AI Aunty also gathers crucial data on their tactics to help us stay one step ahead.
Background
Singapore faces a critical scam threat, with Government Official Impersonation Scams (GOIS) emerging as one of the most damaging variants.
The numbers are stark: $67.5 million in losses, up 67.1% from 2023, with an average loss of $116,534 per case - the highest among all scam types.
Seniors are disproportionately affected. Those aged 65 and above make up 34% of victims but account for 52% of total losses, with a median loss of $60,000 per case. Most GOIS attacks (82%) begin with phone calls, where scammers pose as bank officers or police, using fake IDs and video calls to appear legitimate.
The impact extends beyond financial losses. These scams undermine public trust in government communications and target our most vulnerable citizens, making them a critical priority in Singapore's anti-scam efforts. As Singapore continues to digitise its services, maintaining this trust becomes increasingly vital for effective governance and public service delivery.
Product Goals
Scammer Disruption
Deploy AI to intercept and engage with suspected fraudulent calls
Waste scammers' time through extended conversations
Reduce the efficiency and profitability of scam operations
Protect vulnerable citizens by keeping fraudsters occupied
Intelligence Collection
Gather real-time data on current scamming methodologies
Document evolving fraud tactics
Feed intelligence back into fraud prevention systems
Build a comprehensive database of scammer behaviour patterns
Public Protection
Reduce successful fraud attempts against citizens
Strengthen national cyber defence infrastructure
Combat the rising trend of telephone and digital fraud in GOIS
Provide proactive rather than reactive fraud prevention
Public Education and Awareness
Demonstrate sophisticated social engineering techniques
Highlight the risks of unsolicited calls
Share insights about common scam patterns
Build public resilience against fraud attempts
Resource Optimisation
Automate fraud prevention processes
Reduce strain on human anti-fraud resources
Create scalable protection systems
Enable 24/7 fraud prevention coverage
Approach
AI Aunty is designed to answer suspicious calls and engage scammers in lengthy, time-wasting conversations, keeping them occupied so they can't target real potential victims.
The AI behind the bot can generate audio based on audio it receives, its personality and knowledge are customised a specialised prompt. The way the model is built means that even the tone and intonation can change based on what is happening.
Collateral collected from the conversation includes both the audio recordings, a transcript as well as metadata (such as any personal information provided). This can be used to further refine the prompt and to pass on to law enforcement for further action.
The purpose is two-fold:
Actively prevents scammers from reaching real potential victims
Helps gather information about scammers' tactics to better protect citizens
The Team
Right to left: Hendy, Blake, Reshma, Adam, Joyce and Abhishek
