The founder of MoneySavingExpert said the video was horrifying and called on the government to take immediate action to regulate deepfake media.
Here’s what you should know:
What does the fake video show?
The video uses artificial intelligence to recreate Martin’s face and voice, and is supposedly promoting an app that works with Tesla and Twitter owner Elon Musk. A clip of the scam shared on Twitter shows a deepfake of Mr. Lewis next to a picture of Mr. Musk. It shows Martin sitting in his office talking about investing in something called Quantum AI, billed as Elon Musk’s new project.
“Elon Musk has announced a new project that has already invested more than $3 billion (£2.4 billion),” Lewis’ deepfake said. “Mr Musk’s new project will bring great investment opportunities to the British public.
“Given the interesting features of the app and seeing how it works, I think it’s safe to say that the experience is justified.”
It has captions that use similar characters to Martin’s recurring show, “This Morning.”
The video was first posted on Facebook, but there were additional reports that it went viral on Instagram.
Martin warns viewers of the video that it is an attempt by criminals to steal money.
Lewis responded to the video on Twitter, writing: This is a scam by criminals trying to steal your money. Please share.
“This is terrifying, it’s the first time I’ve seen a deepfake video scam that I’m on. people will lose money and ruin their lives.”
What should I do if I see a fake Martin Lewis post?
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Lewis said: I mean, they put it together, but I’m not sure about the exact tech. This is currently circulating on Facebook and to my knowledge this is the first deepfake scam ad we have seen.
“It’s certainly the first time I’ve been at it. It’s absolutely terrifying. It’s still early days for the technology and it will get better.”
According to the MoneySavingExpert website, if you find someone sharing a post online, you should let them know it’s a scam and fake.
Many fall for scams, but Lewis never advertises or promotes investments.
If you receive a message similar to the one described, do not respond in any way and report it to Action Fraud.
