Fraud Fighters
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Is the celebrity investment advert a scam?

Almost always yes. Famous people do not sell investments in adverts or videos, and the video can be fake: criminals copy faces and voices. Investment scams are the costliest of all: UK banks counted £221.5 million lost in 2025, a record, and reports to the police add up to £2.4 million a day.

Arrives by Social media, WhatsApp. Pretends to be: Martin Lewis, a TV presenter, a bank, an "investment firm".

How to spot it

MessageAn advert on social media

1A famous TV presenter reveals the new AI investment that 2makes ordinary people rich. 3Start with just £250. 4Places are limited.

https://.com/start

Example: rebuilt from Which? (deepfake videos, March 2026), which describes the fake videos and news pages, not the exact words. We blacked out the dark parts.

  1. A celebrity recommending an investment
  2. A promise of high returns
  3. A small start, then ever bigger payments
  4. Pressure: "places are limited"

How it works

You see an advert with a famous face, or a fake news page, saying ordinary people are getting rich. You leave your phone number. A "broker" rings, then writes on WhatsApp. They ask for a small sum, show a fake website with growing profits, then ask for more. When you want your money back, there are "fees" to pay.

What to do

  1. Do not send money. Check the firm with the FCA Firm Checker, searching for it yourself, not through a link you were sent.

  2. Ignore anyone who offers to get your money back for a fee. It is another scam.

  3. If you have lost money, tell your bank now and report it to Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040) with your screenshots; in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. If someone is coming to your home to collect money or cards, call 999.

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How we know

Other scams