What happened

Operating from call centers in Tbilisi, Georgia, the group created fake ads on Facebook and Google featuring manipulated endorsements from UK celebrities Martin Lewis, Zoe Ball, and Ben Fogle. 

Victims were lured into transferring savings to sham investment platforms, with UK citizens losing approximately GBP 9 million.

Leaked data shared with the Guardian and other news publishers by Swedish television channel SVT and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed scammers used highly aggressive tactics, including impersonating authorities to extract additional fees from victims trying to recover fund.

Some victims reported losing their life savings and having suicidal thoughts. Celebrities faced reputational damage and personal distress, with Ben Fogle noting his mother was targeted.

Why it happened

The fraud exploited gaps in social media platforms’ ad verification systems, despite policies prohibiting deceptive content. 

Affiliate marketers paid to distribute fake articles and deepfakes on Meta and Google platforms, while the Georgian operatives benefited from lax local enforcement. 

Regulatory delays to the UK’s Online Safety Act, which contains provisions on scam ads not taking effect until 2026, further enabled the schemes.