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Martin Lewis has issued a warning about celebrity profiles that are commonly used in scams, most notably Money Saving Expert himself.
King, Taylor Swift, Elon Musk and Adele also join the growing list of celebrities who have fallen victim to online scams.
MoneySavingExpert.com analysed data from Action Fraud to look at how frequently celebrities were mentioned in reported scams in 2022 and 2023.
The investigation revealed that the names of prominent people from various fields, including entertainment, business, politics and royalty, had been misused.
Jeremy Clarkson and Rishi Sunak were also in attendance – you can see the full list below.
The website, founded by Lewis, said the data it looked at was likely only a drop in the ocean because many people don't report scams to police.
Action Fraud provided the reported fraud data based on a list of celebrities provided by MoneySavingExpert.com.
To compile the list, the website asked people on social media who they thought had appeared in the scam ads.
Lewis topped Action Flood's analysis of the public figures most frequently featured in the report.
Complete list
According to a study using data from Action Fraud, here are the top 20 celebrities whose personal details have been misused by scammers, and their percentage of the total mentioned in scams:
1. Martin Lewis, 32.4%
2. Taylor Swift, 21.7%
3. Elon Musk, 13.9%
4. Adele, 2.7%
5. Holly Willoughby, 2.3%
6. Jeremy Clarkson, 2.0%
7. Mark Zuckerberg, 1.5%
8. Johnny Depp, 1.1%
9. Keanu Reeves, 1.1%
10. Ed Sheeran – 1.1%
11. Peter Jones – 0.9%
12. King Charles — 0.9%
13. Phillip Schofield — 0.9%
14. Richard Branson — 0.8%
15. Rishi Sunak — 0.8%
16. Rod Stewart, 0.7%
17. Simon Cowell, 0.6%
18. Prince Harry — 0.6%
19. Lewis Capaldi – 0.6%
20. James Martin, 0.6%
According to a study using data from Action Fraud, here are the top 20 celebrities whose personal details have been misused by scammers, and their percentage of the total mentioned in scams:
Money Saving Expert said data from Action Flood showed victims had reported losing more than £20 million to scams using Mr Lewis' profile in the past two years.
The largest individual loss from a fraud involving Mr Lewis was reported to have been £500,000.
Lewis said: “The criminals behind the mass scams are likely effectively leveraging their in-house dark web and digital marketing teams to research which celebrities and ad types get the most click-through rates, honing their techniques to attract more victims.”
“They will almost certainly collect data on how well each celebrity attracts people and how many of those who respond to a celebrity in an ad are actually willing to pay.”
Lewis added: “And if it's an ad I'm in, it's definitely a scam because I don't do ads. To be at the top of this list is the worst compliment I've ever received.”
He added: “The new administration has promised to ensure that tech companies have clear obligations and clear financial incentives to work with banks to prevent fraud, identify fraudulent transactions, and help victims. We'll be watching closely to see whether that happens.”
Money Saving Expert warned that when it comes to scam ads, mentions of cryptocurrency, investments, retirement planning and promises of get rich quick are particular warning signs to look out for.
Claims about celebrity scandals may also be scams. Website links related to alleged scandals may lead people to investment scams.
Ticket fraud is also rampant, with con artists trying to cash in on the popularity of Swift's Ella tour.
Money-saving experts pointed out that tickets should be purchased from official sales or resale platforms and people should be cautious on social media.
Data released by Lloyds Bank earlier this year found that Swift fans have lost an estimated £1 million since UK tickets for her tour went on sale last July.
If you think you've been scammed, contact your bank and the police.
Many banks are part of a scheme whereby if you receive a suspected fraudulent call, you can simply dial 159 to get in touch.
Those taking part in the 159 scheme include Monzo, Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Co-operative Bank, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, Metro Bank, Nationwide Building Society, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander, Starling, Tide, TSB and Ulster Bank.
If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland you can report the scam to the police by contacting Action Fraud, if you live in Scotland you can contact Police Scotland.
As well as contacting your bank and the police, you can also contact the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about online scams.
If you paid by card, you can seek a refund under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act (which in some cases also applies to credit card purchases) or by using the chargeback scheme.
MoneySavingExpert said its investigation covered all mentions, including cases where multiple people were mentioned, and Action Fraud warned that irrelevant reports may have been caught and relevant ones missed.
