Money saving expert Martin Lewis confronted a victim of a sophisticated online scam that used deepfake technology to fraudulently use his image and voice to promote a non-existent bitcoin investment scheme. Des Healey, a kitchen fitter from Brighton, lost £76,000 after falling prey to a Facebook advertisement featuring a manipulated version of Lewis and tech billionaire Elon Musk.
In August 2023, Des encountered a fake advert using artificial intelligence to simulate Martin Lewis endorsing an investment opportunity. The scam involved a person calling himself Carl, who claimed to be a financial advisor with over 20 years of experience. He initially convinced Des to invest £1,000 through a Revolut account, showing what appeared to be returned funds to build trust.
Believing the scheme was legitimate, Des transferred his entire life savings of £5,000 into the account. The scammer manipulated him by claiming additional investments were necessary to withdraw money. Ultimately, Des took out four separate loans totaling £70,000 to continue investing.
The turning point came when Des’s son overheard a phone call and noticed suspicious background music, warning his father that something seemed wrong. Des described the experience as feeling like a “spell was cast upon him.”
Martin Lewis, who has been the most frequently scammed celebrity in Britain, expressed empathy for Des, calling him “brave and admirable” for sharing his story. Lewis emphasized that falling for scams doesn’t make someone a “mug” but rather a victim of sophisticated criminal tactics.
Lewis offered several tips to help people avoid similar scams:
– Be wary of urgent offers that require secrecy
– If cold-called by a bank or company, hang up and call back using a different phone
– Wait 10-15 minutes before returning calls
– Be cautious of links or texts asking for responses
– Understand that responding to a text can confirm your active phone number
Following the scam report, two banks have cancelled Des’s loans. However, he still owes £20,000 plus nearly £6,000 in interest and is consulting the financial ombudsman about his options.
Revolut, the e-money platform used in the scam, stated they are sorry customers are targeted by “ruthless and highly sophisticated criminals” and invest heavily in fraud prevention technologies.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has recently announced plans to introduce facial recognition technology to combat such fraudulent celebrity endorsement scams.
Des expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share his story, hoping it might help prevent others from falling victim to similar schemes. Martin Lewis noted that by speaking out, Des has likely helped many potential victims understand the sophisticated nature of modern online scams.
