Martin Lewis has warned the public over a scam involving Jeremy Clarkson, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
The 52-year-old has revealed that a whole host of celebrities have had their profiles commonly misused in scam adverts.
MoneySavingExpert.com analysed data from Action Fraud, looking at how frequently public figures were mentioned in scams reported to it in 2022 and 2023.
Amongst those named was Oxfordshire farmer and TV host Jeremy Clarkson as well as the King and former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Simon Cowell, who has a mansion in the Cotswolds, was also among the famous faces named.
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Jeremy Clarkson at his Oxfordshire farm. (Image: PA)
Mr Lewis himself topped the list in the analysis of the most featured public figures mentioned in reports to Action Fraud.
Mr Lewis said: “It’s likely that the criminals pumping out these scam ads effectively use their own in-house dark-web digital marketing teams, researching which celebrities and advert types get the best click through rates, and honing the way they work to be able to attract more victims.
“Almost certainly they will be collecting data on each public figure’s power to draw people in and how many people who respond to a celeb in an advert then go through to part with the money.”
MoneySavingExpert said Action Fraud data indicates victims have reported losing more than £20m to scams misusing Mr Lewis’s profile in the past two years.
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Taylor Swift is reportedly staying in Oxfordshire this summer. (Image: PA)
The biggest individual reported loss attributed to a scam featuring Mr Lewis was £500,000.
“If it’s an ad with me in, it’s always a scam, as I don’t do adverts. Topping this list is about the worst compliment I’ve ever had.”
“The new Government has promised to ensure that tech companies have a clear obligation, and a clear financial incentive, to work with banks to prevent scams, identify fraudulent transactions and support victims. We’ll be watching closely to see if it delivers.”
Ranked second in the list was singer Taylor Swift who reportedly took up residence in Oxfordshire recently to rest over while partaking in the British leg of her Eras tour.
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Ticket scams for the global superstar’s shows were rife with scammers trying to cash in on the popularity of the tour.
Fans of Swift have lost out on an estimated £1 million since UK tickets for her tour went on sale last July, according to data published by Lloyds Bank earlier this year.
MoneySavingExpert believes the data it looked at is likely to be a drop in the ocean, as many people do not report scams to the police.
People in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can report a scam to the police by contacting Action Fraud.
READ MORE: Clarkson’s Farm staff reveal what it’s like to work with Jeremy Clarkson
Martin Lewis has warned the public about these scams. (Image: PA)
In Scotland, people can contact Police Scotland.
They could also contact the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about an online scam, in addition to contacting the bank and the police.
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