Money-saving expert Martin Lewis unleashed a torrent of frustration on This Morning today, condemning the staggering rise of AI-driven deepfake scam adverts that have been wreaking havoc on unsuspecting victims across the UK.
Appearing alongside hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard in the This Morning View segment, Martin revealed a shocking statistic: his image has appeared in 44% of all scam ads. He recounted how Meta has reportedly earned £3 billion from European scam adverts in just one year, while his 2019 lawsuit against Facebook only led to a £3 million settlement—a fraction of what’s needed to combat the problem.
“I campaigned tirelessly to include scam adverts in the Online Safety Act three years ago,” Martin told the panel. “Yet the government has ignored the damage, not just to people’s finances but to their mental health and self-esteem. It’s incredibly destructive.”
The money-saving guru became visibly emotional as he recounted a letter from a 78-year-old victim who lost their life savings to a deepfake AI scam featuring him on social media. “That is what brought me to tears. This is not an isolated incident—it happens daily, destroying lives for over a decade.”
Martin’s anger quickly turned to scathing criticism of politicians:
“The Online Safety Act was meant to protect people three years ago. They haven’t even consulted on implementation. If they started tomorrow, it wouldn’t come into force until 2027. That’s more years for people to be exploited.”
He blasted Prime Ministerial comments on AI self-regulation, pointing out that tech giants have profited billions from scams, causing real harm and abuse, while official action lags behind.
“It is a disgrace,” Martin declared. “Politicians of every party should hang their heads in shame for ignoring hundreds of thousands of victims just because they’re scared of big tech. It’s time they got some balls.”
The fiery segment ended with Martin issuing a passionate plea for urgent action: stronger regulations, faster implementation, and accountability from both tech companies and the government.
In a world increasingly threatened by AI deepfakes, Martin Lewis’s warning is stark: scam adverts are not just an inconvenience—they are destroying lives, and time is running out.
