Tesco alerts police as supermarket becomes latest victim of scam ‘endorsement’ ads
Exclusive: Supermarket joins line of firms and sports stars including Bellingham and Haaland to have their image hijacked via ads Tesco has alerted City of London police after it became the latest in a string of companies and sports stars, including Barclays bank and Lewis Hamilton, to have its image hijacked in a “scam” by unlicensed casinos advertising via Facebook and Instagram. The…
Tesco has alerted the City of London police after becoming the latest victim of a scam involving "endorsement" ads on Facebook and Instagram. According to the source, unlicensed casinos are hijacking the images of well-known companies and sports stars, including Barclays bank and Lewis Hamilton, to capitalize on their brand recognition.
These casinos have created ads and websites that give the impression Tesco, Barclays, and other businesses have launched their own casinos. Among those affected are sports stars like Jude Bellingham, Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, and Tyson Fury. The Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority are aware of the issue but have had limited success in preventing the spread of such ads.
Tesco declined to comment to the Guardian but referred concerns to the National Cyber Security Centre and Report Fraud service.
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