Open Your Mouth & Give The Phone To Granny ☎️

Granny Just Wants To Talk

Scams are no joke—69% of Brits have reported being targeted, and Virgin Media O2 intercepted over £250 million in fraudulent attempts last year. It’s a global problem, too. Americans deal with 2.9 billion spam calls monthly (image below by Truecaller). 

As a result, phone companies are introducing AI tools to detect scammy behavior during calls, like urgent money requests or demands for personal details.

All scam calls have one thing in common — they require a basic knowledge on online banking or third party payment apps. So what if the potential victim of the scam is someone detached from all the wonders/pains of tech, yet smart enough to bully you into conceding to her logic? 

Say hello to Daisy—a witty, AI-powered grandma created by Virgin Media O2 to take on scammers. Launched on November 14, Daisy’s one job is to keep scammers talking, saving real people the hassle. And she’s off to a flying start, having already tangled with over 1,000 scammers. One scammer spent 40 minutes on call with her while she distracted them with stories about her (fictional) grandkids!

Here’s how Daisy works her magic: she listens to the scammer, converts their words to text, and uses her training to craft a perfectly irrelevant response—all in seconds. Her voice might sound sweet, but she’s armed with scam-specific training and relentless patience, making her the ultimate time-waster for fraudsters.

To make Daisy even more effective, Virgin Media O2 collaborated with former scammers and seeded her number into scammer “mugs lists.”

Steps to Redeem the Offer
1. Simply log in to Notion using this link 
2. Select Startup Stash from the partners list
3. Use Code: STARTUP4110P70786 to redeem

Starting Your Own Company Is NOT a Remedy For Corporate Burnout

Burnout isn’t about the job alone — starting a business won’t fix deeper stress or boundary issues.

Open Your Mouth & Get Rich  

The SEC’s whistleblower program, launched in 2011, has turned honesty into a lucrative enterprise. To date, the program has awarded over $2.2 billion to 444 individuals—averaging a staggering $5 million per whistleblower.
 

But 2024 took things to a whole new level.

According to the SEC’s latest annual report, two whistleblowers received life-changing payouts for their contributions to uncovering wrongdoing. One walked away with an astounding $82 million, while the other pocketed $16 million. Together, their combined $98 million reward ranks as the fifth-largest payout in the program’s history. And that’s not even the record—the largest award to date hit a jaw-dropping $279 million in a bribery case involving telecom giant Ericsson.

Surprisingly, whistleblowing doesn’t always require insider access. In 2024, about 38% of awardees were outsiders, proving that sometimes sharp observation and the courage to speak up can make all the difference. With the SEC receiving more tips, complaints, and referrals (TCRs) than ever, it’s clear the program is hitting its stride.

These massive payouts show just how high the stakes are in corporate misconduct cases. They also highlight the SEC’s reliance on whistleblowers as a crucial part of its enforcement strategy—a partnership where doing the right thing can lead to truly astonishing rewards.

Thanksgiving saw a cheerful surge in online shopping, with consumers spending $6.1 billion—a solid 8.8% increase from last year, says Adobe Analytics.
 

Shopping habits are evolving! 
 

• The days of Black Friday crowds and long lines are fading, as more people embrace online shopping.
• Adobe noted a massive 1,900% jump in retail site visits through chatbots on Thanksgiving.
• Shoppers also spent $430 million using Buy Now, Pay Later options, a 10.3% increase from last year.

You might also like:

✋ The Unprecedented - Australia has become the world's first country to completely ban children under 16 from using social media. TikTok, Facebook, IS, X, Snap, and Reddit could be fined up to $32.2 million for violating the new law.

🧗‍♂️ The High Run - Stocks are in the midst of their best two years since the dot-com boom. 

🚰 We're Changing The Tilt - Humans are pumping so much groundwater they’ve changed Earth’s rotational tilt.
 

☕ Cost of Coffee Love - Coffee prices have surged to a 27-year high.

🫣 Who's Making a Cameo? - A fresh list of politicians selling selfies on Cameo.

Copyright © 2024 StartupStash, All rights reserved.

Drop us a line:

hello@startupstash.com