Promoted tweets on Twitter are using the likeness of famed naturalist Sir David Attenborough to trick users into shady crypto schemes.

Scammers are buying up ad space to tease that stars like Attenborough have secrets to share about how they generate their wealth. “When he was asked how he got such wealth, he showed something that shocked them,” one promoted tweet read.

A link directs to an article pretending to be The Mirror, with the headline: “Sir David Attenborough Shocked Everyone In The Studio By Revealing How He Is Making An Extra £128K Every Month.”

Protos has not included a link to this false website in order to protect readers.

The article then reveals Attenborough’s supposed secret cryptocurrency trading platform that promises returns on £200 deposits.

Every single outgoing link then redirects you to Quantum AI trading — most review sites list the platform as a scam.

Attenborough hits back as Twitter scams intensify

In a statement to The Mirror, he clarified: “I have never said anything about cryptocurrencies and I would never advise anyone to invest in them.

“I am appalled that my name and image is being used in connection with these scams, I hope no one has been misled by these dishonest advertisements, and I wish social-media platforms made it faster and easier to get them taken down.”

Twitter is currently struggling to retain advertisers after its checkmark process, introduced by new chief exec Elon Musk, led to official accounts being easily impersonated by others.

Read more: Twitter goes private… and decentralized?

Effects have rippled through to major businesses. Insulin manufacturer Eli Lilly & Co was impersonated by an account that bought Twitter ad space. Its promoted tweet said insulin was now free. The real company’s stock plummeted.

Quotes in bold are our emphasis. For more informed news, follow us on Twitter and Google News or listen to our investigative podcast Innovated: Blockchain City.