Warning over new ‘deepfake’ Martin Lewis video scam promoting a fake ‘Elon Musk investment’

A disturbingly convincing artificial intelligence (AI) generated scam video featuring Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, is doing the rounds on social media.

Scammers have used AI to duplicate not only Martin’s face but to promote an app claiming to be linked to Tesla and Twitter owner Elon Musk.

“The video is entirely bogus. I have no involvement whatsoever,” Martin stressed.

The video presents a convincing portrayal of Martin in his office, discussing an investment in a project named ‘Quantum AI’.

WARNING. THIS IS A SCAM BY CRIMINALS TRYING TO STEAL MONEY. PLS SHARE.

This is frightening, it's the first deep fake video scam I've seen with me in it. Govt & regulators must step up to stop big tech publishing such dangerous fakes. People'll lose money and it'll ruin lives. https://t.co/ZzaBELg1kg

— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) July 6, 2023

This project is falsely labelled as ‘Elon Musk’s new project’. Adding to the realistic deception, the video is subtitled with a branding similar to ‘This Morning’, a show on which Martin regularly appears.

The initial platform from which the scam video originated remains unclear, with the first awareness of the scam brought to Martin’s attention via Twitter.

The MoneySavingExpert.com founder is urging anyone who encounters this video to understand it as an attempt by unscrupulous individuals to defraud them.

“We’ve reached out to Twitter to inform them about this scam and to ask if Elon Musk has any connection to Quantum AI,” our reporter said. “We are also querying what measures the platform is taking to combat scam content. Updates will follow when we receive a response.”

For those who stumble upon the fake post, Martin advises alerting the poster that this is a scam.

Despite constant warnings, people still fall victim to these scams masquerading as Martin Lewis.

He reiterates, “I NEVER do advertisements or promote investments.”

If you receive a similar message as described above, do not engage with it as it is likely trying to deceive you into divulging information.

Please report any such scams to Action Fraud promptly.

MoneySavingExpert.com is the UK’s biggest consumer website, with more than 16 million users a month.

The site is part of the Ewloe based MoneySupermarket Group.