Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis to sue Facebook after his pic was used in £100k ad scams
TV money saving expert Martin Lewis is suing Facebook for running more than 50 bogus ads with his face.
One get-rich-quick scam cost a victim £100,000.
Martin, 45, launches his High Court libel action today after complaining to Facebook for over a year. He raged: “They’re taking money from criminal scammers. It’s a disgrace. They can’t sit on their moral high horse when scammers rob the old, weak and vulnerable.
“I’ve fought to stop Facebook letting scam-mers use my name and face to rip people off, yet it continues. Even when reported, many ads are left for days or weeks. When they’re taken down, the scammers launch a nearly identical campaign.”
Martin, founder of the Money Saving Expert website, blasted Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg. He said: “I want him to pay people who were scammed, to say, ‘I’m sorry. Here’s the cash back’.”
Martin pointed out Dragons’ Den duo Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden have also been used in fake ads.
He vowed to donate any cash he wins to anti-fraud charities.
His lawyer Mark Lewis said: “We seek exemplary damages. It needs to be shown that the price of causing misery is very high.”
Facebook said: “We don’t allow misleading or false adverts. We’ve told him to report any infringing his rights. They will be removed.”