Willz

Martin Lewis was told that a viewer was conned out of £140,000 after a deep‑fake advert cloned his face and voice to push a crypto get-rich-quick scam. We are only at the foothills of the deep‑fake era and it is going to get a lot worse. Over recent months I’ve had thousands of messages flagging AI videos and paid ads that use my image on every social platform. The crazy part is that these aren’t normal posts - they are promoted adverts that are being boosted using Facebook, X or YouTube's advertising tools - this means someone somewhere is paying Meta and X to target people with scams, and Meta and X are collecting that money. I’ve received so many (too many) messages from people who have lost money because of these scams - some of which are absolutely heartbreaking - and the horrible truth is that the people most at risk are some of the most vulnerable in society. If the platforms can tag my face in a photo, automatically, it can spot it in a scam advert. If it can name a song in one second, it can spot an AI voice clone in a video. So I agree with @MartinSLewis, this is not a technical hurdle - it is a commercial choice. Until the platforms act, we have to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Five simple ideas to consider: ✅ Agree a family or company code‑word - no urgent money or password request is real unless it includes the phrase. ✅ Verify on a second channel - if a message or call asks for cash, ring the person back on a number you already trust. ✅ Teach loved ones the red flags – cloned voices or videos usually create pressure: “right now”, secrecy, emergencies. Pause, breathe, verify. ✅ Limit your digital footprint – lock social accounts if you can, avoid posting long voice notes or high-resolution videos that give scammers free training data if you can. (I realise this is very very hard for most people) ✅ Report and block fake ads immediately – every time you spot a deep-fake on Meta or X, tap “Report ad” so others don't fall for it. The most important thing is that you educate yourself and your loved ones and help them to be more vigilant and careful when browsing social media. Stay safe!