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Martin Lewis has branded the Prime Minister's attitude towards online rip-offs as "woefully lacking". Mr Lewis, founder of the Money Saving Expert (MSE) website, and Anabel Hoult, boss of consumer group Which?, penned a letter to Sir Keir Starmer warning of missed opportunities in the Government's plan to tackle fraud.

Mr Lewis' name or image has been used repeatedly without his knowledge to lure consumers into making fake investments or payments. In the letter, the pair said: "Recently, you said the Government would take action against X if it did not address issues with its AI bot Grok, stating, 'if you profit from harm and abuse, you lose the right to self-regulate'. This is the right attitude, but it is sadly woefully lacking when it comes to all victims of harm and online abuse."

The letter continued: "Which? and MSE are writing to express our concerns with the Government's lack of action to hold Big Tech accountable for the fraud that takes place on its platforms.

"This fraud doesn't just destroy people's financial lives, it can also destroy self-esteem and have huge impacts on mental health. It is easily one of the most common forms of 'harm and abuse' and needs addressing as a matter of urgency."

Fraud makes up 45% of all UK crime, the majority of which occurs online.

They told how an increase in AI deep fakes are being used on "get rich quick" schemes meanwhile fake news articles are used with clickbait fake news headlines to draw people in.

In the first half of 2025, 66% of authorised push payment (APP) fraud began on major online platforms, with AI now giving criminals the tools to execute high-value frauds on these sites at scale - fuelling a 55% increase in investment scams over the past year.

The letter to the PM added: "Major online platforms are not just hosting criminal activity, they are actively profiting from it. Latest reports show that platforms generate approximately £3.8 billion annually from scam ads targeting European users."

They added: "By failing to hold Big Tech firms accountable through the Fraud Strategy and Online Safety Act (OSA), we're concerned the government is giving these platforms free rein to continue profiting from the financial and emotional harm scams cause to millions of victims every year.

"If the Government is serious about forcing these firms to improve the 'takedown' of fraudulent content, there are some clear steps it can take."

Mr Lewis and Ms Hoult insisted the Government must instruct regulator Ofcom to deliver on its code of practice as soon as possible.

The Government has been contacted for comment.