Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has issued an urgent warning about a surge in scam adverts using his name and image to steal people's money.

Posting on X, Lewis said there was a "huge rash of scam ads" using him across social media, including still images and fake videos generated by artificial intelligence. The adverts falsely suggest he is endorsing investment schemes, when in fact he endorses nothing.

"Investment ads with me in are criminal scams. AI Quantum Investing, Bitcoin Trader and the like: all scams," he wrote. He added a blunt rule for anyone who sees his face in an advert: "I don't do adverts. So if it's an ad with me in, it isn't me."

The warning comes as new figures show the scale of the problem. Report Fraud, the City of London Police service, revealed last month that criminals stole £24.3 million through AI-enabled investment endorsement scams between January and August this year. More than 1,300 reports were recorded over the eight-month period, with people aged 60 and over accounting for almost 80 per cent of them.

The scams use AI-generated images, videos and fake news articles to make it appear that a well-known person or a trusted organisation is backing an investment. City of London Police backed Lewis's warning.

Anyone considering an investment can check whether a firm is authorised using the Financial Conduct Authority's Firm Checker. The FCA also warns people to be suspicious of unexpected approaches, pressure to make a quick decision and promises of unusually high returns. Anyone who spots a fake advert should report it, and anyone who has already sent money should contact their bank immediately.

[Source: britbrief.co.uk](https://britbrief.co.uk/crime/fraud/martin-lewis-warns-brits-of-ai-scam-ads-using-his-image.html) | [Source: ladbible.com](https://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-news/martin-lewis-name-scam-warnings-990965-20261104)