TV presenter Peppi Azzopardi has become the most recent local personality to feature in scam Facebook adverts for fradulent Bitcoin schemes. 

The presenter of Friday night TV show Xarabank posted a video on the programme’s Facebook page to warn people not to be duped by the adverts, which he dubbed “fake news”.  

“I can’t believe people would believe these stories about me,” he said of the adverts, which claim Mr Azzopardi made millions through an investment scheme related to cryptocurrency Bitcoin. 

“I earn a wage, and like others on a wage I cannot afford fancy cars or villas,” he said. 

The adverts follow a boilerplate which has used the faces of other famous Maltese in an attempt to lure people into parting with their money. 

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, actor Davide Tucci and footballer Michael Mifsud are among those whose photos have been used in fake Facebook ads.

In Mr Azzopardi’s case, the advert claimed that Mr Azzopardi had come clean about his multi-million wealth during an interview with fellow TV presenter Antonella Vassallo - herself the victim of such a scam some months ago.

But Mr Azzopardi has never interviewed Ms Vassallo, and in a video debunking the fake advert, he ripped into those who had been tricked.

“Isn’t it obvious this is a lie?” he asked. 

“How can you believe that somebody would make these millions and tell you about it. It’s like going to a fortune teller, giving her €50 and asking her to give you the winning numbers for the Super 5 [lottery]. As if she would give them to you if she knew them”.