Deepfake Scam Ads Used Likenesses of Martin Lewis and Lara Lewington for Quantum AI Scheme
Scammers circulated deepfake videos depicting BBC presenter Lara Lewington and personal finance expert Martin Lewis to promote a fraudulent "Quantum AI" investment scheme. The deepfakes, published as paid advertisements on social media platforms, reportedly showed violent content designed to deceive viewers into contacting the scammers.
What happened
Scammers created deepfake videos depicting BBC presenter Lara Lewington and personal finance expert Martin Lewis to promote a fraudulent 'Quantum AI' investment scheme. The deepfakes showed Lewington being attacked by a man depicted as angry at being refused entry to the nonexistent investment scheme.
These deepfake advertisements were published on social media platforms as paid content. Martin Lewis stated that friends had sent 'worried messages' after seeing the fake videos, and he criticized social media firms for accepting payment to publish the offensive, fake content.
Reported impact
The deepfake ads were designed to trick viewers into contacting the scammers to steal money. Martin Lewis emphasized that the scammers were 'trying to steal money' and that the videos were part of organized criminal attempts to defraud people.
Index analysis
This incident represents an escalation in the use of deepfake technology for financial fraud. Martin Lewis noted that the scammers were 'sinking even lower' by combining deepfakes with violent imagery and explicit targeting of public figures' likenesses to lend credibility to the scam.
Governance controls
The UK Government has been amending the Online Safety Act to address illegally-generated AI content and plans to impose legal duties on social media platforms to prevent and remove such content. However, Martin Lewis criticized the delayed implementation of scam advertisement rules under the Online Safety Act, stating he had 'no faith' in social media firms' willingness to address the issue despite them profiting from such ads.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.