MARTIN Lewis has warned internet users to watch out for continued online scams misusing his image and other famous faces.
More than £20million has been lost by victims of fake ads featuring the Money Saving Expert‘s profile in the past two years, according to Action Fraud data.
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The biggest individual reported loss attributed to a scam featuring Mr Lewis, 52, is a staggering £500,000.
And the image and names of other celebs including Taylor Swift and Jeremy Clarkson are being abused too.
Elon Musk, Adele, Holly Willoughby, Mark Zuckerberg and King Charles also rank high.
Ads associated with cryptocurrency, investing, retirement planning and promises to get rich quick are particular red flags to look out for.
Read more about Martin Lewis
Ticket cons are also rife, with fraudsters mercilessly trying to cash in on the popularity of Swift’s Era’s tour.
Recent data from Lloyds Bank suggests fans of the singer have lost out on an estimated £1million since UK tickets for her tour went on sale last July.
Topping this list is about the worst compliment I’ve ever had
Martin Lewis
Claims about scandals involving a celebrity may turn out to be a rip off as well, with links directing people to possible investment scams.
Mr Lewis said: “It’s likely that the criminals pumping out these scam ads effectively use their own in-house dark-web digital marketing teams, researching which celebrities and advert types get the best click through rates, and honing the way they work to be able to attract more victims.
“Almost certainly they will be collecting data on each public figure’s power to draw people in and how many people who respond to a celeb in an advert then go through to part with the money.
“And if it’s an ad with me in, it’s always a scam, as I don’t do adverts. Topping this list is about the worst compliment I’ve ever had.”
MoneySavingExpert.com analysed data from Action Fraud, looking at how frequently public figures were mentioned in scams reported to it in 2022 and 2023.
The website, founded by Mr Lewis, said the data it looked at is likely to be a drop in the ocean, as many people do not report online con tricks to the police.
Action Fraud supplied reported scams data based on a list of celebrities provided by MoneySavingExpert.com.
Top 20 famous profiles misused in scams
- Martin Lewis – 32.4%
- Taylor Swift – 21.7%
- Elon Musk – 13.9%
- Adele – 2.7%
- Holly Willoughby – 2.3%
- Jeremy Clarkson – 2.0%
- Mark Zuckerberg – 1.5%
- Johnny Depp – 1.1%
- Keanu Reeves – 1.1%
- Ed Sheeran – 1.1%
- Peter Jones – 0.9%
- King Charles – 0.9%
- Phillip Schofield – 0.9%
- Richard Branson – 0.8%
- Rishi Sunak – 0.8%
- Rod Stewart – 0.7%
- Simon Cowell – 0.6%
- Prince Harry – 0.6%
- Lewis Capaldi – 0.6%
- James Martin – 0.6%
MoneySavingExpert.com research according to Action Fraud data
To generate that list, the website asked on social media for people to say who they had seen appear in scam ads.
Mr Lewis topped the list in the analysis of the most featured public figures mentioned in reports to Action Fraud.
“The new Government has promised to ensure that tech companies have a clear obligation, and a clear financial incentive, to work with banks to prevent scams, identify fraudulent transactions and support victims,” he said.
“We’ll be watching closely to see if it delivers.”
MoneySavingExpert.com said the research covers all mentions, including where more than one person is mentioned. It said Action Fraud cautioned that some unrelated reports may have been captured and some related reports missed.
Have you fallen victim to an online scam? Get in touch with The Sun’s Assistant Technology and Science Editor at jamie.harris@thesun.co.uk.
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
IF you’ve lost money in a scam, contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or by visiting Actionfraud.police.uk.
You should also contact your bank or credit card provider immediatley to see if they can stop or trace the cash.
If you don’t think your bank has managed your complaint correctly, or if you’re unhappy with the verdict it gives on your case you can complain to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.
Also monitor your credit report in the months following the fraud to ensure crooks don’t make further attempts to steal your cash.