The Advertising standards agency (ASA) received 1,691 reports of potential scams last year through its quick reporting system, with celebrity and deepfake scams accounting for the majority.

The ASA operates the Scam Ad Alert system in partnership with major online ad and social media platforms to help tackle scam ads in paid-for space online.

In 2024, the system sent 177 Scam Ad Alerts requiring them to be removed.

The regulator said it expects participating platforms to respond to alerts within 48 hours to confirm they have removed the reported scam ad.

Last year, the organisation increased the target from 50 per cent to 80 per cent response rate within 48 hours and worked with platforms to understand why there could be reporting delays.

Overall, platforms responded to alerts within 48 hours 71 per cent of the time. A further 16 per cent of alerts were responded to outside of 48 hours and 13 per cent were not responded to.

The advertising watchdog said it had noticed a rise in scam ads featuring celebrities, with public interest in prominent personalities meaning that scammers continue to turn to them to promote services including cryptocurrency, investment and keto slimming gummies.

People including Keir Starmer, Stacey Solomon and Anton Du Beke were used in these scam adverts.

The ASA added that it has seen an increase in the use of AI by scammers including the use of deepfakes. The watchdog was even alerted to a deepfake video ad featuring King Charles recommending cryptocurrency investment.

Commenting on the news Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said it reinforces why the current “slow, reactive and toothless” system to tackle fraud is “woefully” inadequate.

"A flood of celebrity deepfakes and other scam adverts reinforces why the current slow, reactive and toothless system for tackling fraud online is woefully inadequate,” she said. "The biggest online platforms have shown they're unwilling to take effective action to stop scam ads appearing in the first place, which is why specific requirements in the Online Safety Act for platforms to stop scam ads from appearing are so desperately needed, she added. “Ofcom must speed up the full implementation of the Online Safety Act so platforms that fail to tackle fraudulent ads can be hit with tough penalties - including multi-million pound fines."

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