Scammers Pretend Manx Politicians Are Endorsing Get-Rich Schemes

If you’ve spotted a Manx politician suddenly promising to make you rich on Facebook… you might want to keep scrolling.

The Isle of Man Government has issued a warning after a fresh wave of scam posts began doing the rounds on social media, some of them cheekily using the names and faces of senior politicians to look legit.

One recent example falsely claimed that Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson MHK had been talking to Isle of Man Today about a government-backed bond trading platform. She hadn’t.

Another post currently circulating promises users between £500 and £1,300 a day through a so-called trading platform, helpfully adding that ‘registration for the Isle of Man is now open’. Spoiler alert: it isn’t.

This follows earlier scam activity which used artificial intelligence-generated footage to make it look like Chief Minister Alfred Cannan was endorsing a financial product. He wasn’t doing that either.

The Government’s Cyber Security Centre says these scams are becoming more convincing by the day.

Mike Haywood, director of the Cyber Security Centre, said: ‘Scammers are increasingly using sophisticated techniques, including AI-generated images, video and fabricated quotes, to make posts appear authentic.

‘People should be cautious of content that creates a sense of urgency, promises guaranteed returns or asks for personal or financial information. If something looks unusual or seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is.’

And this isn’t just harmless clicking.

Figures based on victim reports show at least £1.2 million was lost to investment scams on the Isle of Man during 2024, and authorities believe the real total is likely much higher, as many cases go unreported.

The advice is simple: be wary of ads using politicians’ names or faces, don’t click dodgy links, and never hand over personal, banking or login details via social media.

If you do spot something suspicious, you can report it to the Isle of Man Government’s Cyber Security Centre using its online reporting form HERE.