Social media sites and search engines could soon have to stop paid-for scam adverts appearing by law.
The updated proposal is part of the Online Safety Bill, a piece of landmark legislation trying to determine how sites deal with harmful content.
Campaign groups say being a scam victim can cause both financial and emotional devastation.
The government is also launching a consultation into how online advertising is regulated.
Under a new legal duty being added to the bill, platforms will be required to put in place processes to block ads appearing online and remove them if they slip through the net.
The idea is intended to better protect people from scams where criminals impersonate celebrities or companies to steal personal data, peddle unsafe financial investments or break into bank accounts.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “We are also announcing a review of the wider rules around online advertising to make sure industry practices are accountable, transparent and ethical – so people can trust what they see advertised and know fact from fiction.”
Martin Lewis, who founded Moneysavingexpert.com, and consumer group Which? both welcomed the news – they had called for scams to be included in the bill.
Mr Lewis described an “epidemic of scam adverts”, adding: “Scams don’t just destroy people’s finances – they hit their self-esteem, mental health and even leave some considering taking…
