Martin Lewis has issued a clear warning to social media users after a scam featuring his image left a family £140,000 out of pocket. The Money Saving Expert founder appeared on ITV’s This Morning to respond to a message from a viewer whose brother was conned by a fake cryptocurrency scheme. The online scam used AI-generated adverts claiming to show Lewis endorsing the investment.
During the segment on May 7, host Ben Shephard shared the viewer’s story: "My brother has been scammed. He thought Martin Lewis was dealing with crypto, there's all these AI adverts online. Over the few months he has lost £140,000 including money I have lent him and various bank loans. We're all devastated he has fallen for this. He is very depressed, as you can imagine, as his wife has a very low-paid job. Where do we start getting him out of debt?”
Lewis, who has long campaigned against online fraud, responded with a blunt warning: "Please don’t touch it."
He told viewers: "See any advert with me in, I do not talk about crypto. I do not do advertising, I do not do investing."
Lewis blamed both past and current governments for not doing enough to hold tech platforms accountable, describing the internet as "a wild west" when it comes to scam adverts.
He added: "No one is protecting you when it comes to scam adverts. No one is looking after you. You have to look after you."
Lewis acknowledged that some progress has been made, including changes in the Online Safety Act which now require platforms to take action against fraudulent adverts.
However, he warned that enforcement could still take years and called for tougher financial penalties for those who allow scam ads to spread.
He said that public figures are frequently targeted by scammers looking to build trust with fake endorsements, and urged people to think twice before clicking on any ad using a celebrity’s face.
To help spot a scam, experts advise looking out for suspicious web addresses, poor design, and any advert offering unusually high returns or asking for upfront payments.
If you see a suspicious ad online, you can report it directly to the platform or to Action Fraud, the National Cyber Security Centre, or the Advertising Standards Authority.
