Fraudsters used a fake Holly Willoughby advert to scam an unsuspecting member of the public out of £370,000, as the television host topped the list of celebrities used by online scammers.
The This Morning presenter was falsely quoted on an advert that appeared on Facebook, which claimed both Ms Willoughby and co-host Philip Schofield had made a huge return on a £200 cryptocurrency investment. One victim lost £370,000 over several payments to the scammer, who convinced them to keep sending money over a number of months.
The report by high street bank NatWest found scammers had also used the face of consumer champion Martin Lewis to lure people into bogus cryptocurrency schemes. One victim lost £317,000 to a fake advert featuring Mr Lewis promoting a “Bitcoin evolution”.
Other popular television personalities were used to lure victims into online scams, including television host Piers Morgan, Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden and billionaire Sir Richard Branson.
Ms Willoughby also ranked at the top of the list in 2021, when an investment scam using her name cost its victim £266,000. The highest value fraud was 40pc higher this year.
A spokesman for NatWest said fraudsters continued to impersonate Ms Willoughby because of her reputation for trustworthiness, and that This Morning’s audience likely included many pensioners who had money spare to invest.
Stuart Skinner, of NatWest, warned investment adverts with celebrity endorsements should be met with…
