Online scams for coveted weight loss-related drugs are spiking in 2024 with nearly 500 malicious websites and 200,000 dangerous phishing attempts identified, according to recent data from McAfee.
During the first four months of the year, from January through April, malicious phishing attempts centered around drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic increased 183% compared with the prior three months.
Approximately 449 malicious websites and 176,871 dangerous email phishing attempts were identified during that time, McAfee reported.
This comes as the demand for GLP-1 drugs continues to rise as people tout the drugs' weight-loss effects.
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GLP-1 agonists are a class of Type 2 diabetes drugs that improves blood sugar control but may also lead to weight loss. Semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic, as well as tirzepatide, which is the active ingredient in Eli Lily's Mounjaro and Zepbound, are considered GLP-1 drugs.
Last month, Novo told FOX Business that a minimum of 25,000 Americans were beginning treatment with Wegovy each week.
That's "four times" the number of U.S. patients starting the medication compared with December 2023, the Danish pharmaceutical giant, which has been ramping up production capacity to meet demand, said.
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Industrywide, McAfee noted that over a million GLP-1 prescriptions are filled each week, with a starting cost of $1,000 per month.
Those looking to get the medication are eager to get their hands on discounted and readily available drugs, "making them more likely to fall for online scams, which have become increasingly prolific," McAfee said in its report, published Wednesday.
The issue is scammers are trying to target people on social media by creating fake profiles to post offers on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace. On Craigslist, McAfee identified 207 scam postings for Ozempic within a 24-hour period.
FOX Business reached out to Meta and Craigslist for comment.
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Researchers discovered that scammers were even trying to impersonate medical professionals. In one instance, a scammer created a Facebook profile under the name "Doctor Melissa." They said they were based in Canada and could provide Mounjaro and Ozempic without a prescription, with payment available through bitcoin, Zelle, Venmo and Cash App. These are not standard payment methods for prescription drugs "and should be red flags for consumers," McAfee said.
The websites, profiles and campaigns lean on artificial intelligence tools to enhance their credibility. When consumers click on these malicious links, they risk exposing their personal information, losing money and putting their health at risk.
