Cleveland Police is urging vigilance after fraudulent AI-generated investment adverts depicting Elon Musk, Jeremy Clarkson and Martin Lewis were used to trick victims in the North East. Detective Sergeant Kev Appleby from Cleveland Police’s Fraud Unit explained that the original investment appears to be around £250, after which the victim is contacted by an ‘agent’ who uses fake graphs to show earnings. The fraudsters send a ‘sweetener’ to encourage further investment, build trust, and eventually persuade the victim to take out loans or click a link to remote software such as AnyDesk, allowing the fraudsters to take out a loan on the victim’s behalf before disappearing with the money. Det Sgt Appleby noted that one victim lost £135,000, and while there have been no reports of losses from Cleveland, the force is raising awareness as a preventative measure. Advice includes recognizing and ending suspicious contact, checking official routes, reporting to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or police via 101, and monitoring accounts for suspicious activity.