'Cool in 90 seconds' - the fake portable air conditioners sweeping the internet

As parts of the UK brace for a different blistery weekend, online adverts have appeared for portable air conditioners claiming to be “designed by erstwhile Nasa engineers” and capable to “cool a country successful 90 seconds”. The adverts have emerged on platforms including Facebook and YouTube, but the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has warned that the products are often “too bully to beryllium true”. YouTuber Stuart Matthews, who bought several devices to test on his Proper DIY channel, told the BBC that, despite paying £70 for one unit, it turned out to be “a small, elemental instrumentality worthy lone a fewer pounds”. The BBC has approached Meta and YouTube for comment. The ASA told the BBC that some of the adverts it had seen online in recent weeks made exaggerated claims, including that a tiny instrumentality could chill an full location in minutes or utilise very small electricity. It also said the adverts often featured fake lawsuit reviews describing melodramatic somesthesia drops or exceptional performance. The adverts direct shoppers to websites selling the devices, typically for between £70 and £120. Many of the adverts also appeared to be AI‑generated, using visuals such as copper coils and metallic boxes to make the products look more sophisticated.