Ozempic shortages are creating an ‘unprecedented’ opportunity for phishing scammers

America’s weight-loss craze is a scammer’s gain.



Between January and April this year, phishing attempts concerning scam offers for GLP-1 drugs—typically sold as Ozempic , Wegovy, and Semaglutide—increased 183% compared to the final three months of 2023, according to new data from security software firm McAfee.



That’s largely due to scammers taking advantage of the massive amount of interest in those drugs, and their effectiveness in helping people lose weight.



“We’re all aware of the recent weight loss frenzy,” says Abhishek Karnik, director of threat research and response for McAfee, “but what we’re seeing with Ozempic is really unprecedented” in terms of scam activity.



Karnik says that given the price of GLP-1 medications (often more than $1,000 per month ) and massive demand, causing shortages , many people are trying to track down doses wherever they can find them—opening the door for scammers.



“People are so desperate sometimes that they’re willing to try whatever works to get the medication,” Karnik says. Accordingly, they let their guard down, and take a risk at trying to get their hands on these drugs, only to realize later that they’ve been scammed.



Don’t fall for fake websites—or fake medicine



Generally, these scams result in an individual placing an order from a website or source that they’re not familiar with, only for their order to never arrive or be delivered. These “non-delivery scams,” Karnik says, are very common, as the scammer now has your bank or credit card information. The other main form that Ozempic scams take results in the delivery of counterfeit medication, or something else entirely, which can be dangerous.



For instance, someone could place an order through a black market website for Ozempic, only to have insulin, or vitamin B6, delivered instead. If the person unknowingly injects themself with insulin, it could cause health problems, which is what makes these scams particularly nefarious.



How to sniff out an Ozempic scam



Karnik says to use common sense. Stay away from unofficial retailers, he says, and avoid claims on marketplaces or social media that you can get medication without a prescription.



Other red flags include the opportunity to pay via cryptocurrency, or following links that may arrive unsolicited in your email or social media inboxes. Many scammers are using Facebook, Telegram, and TikTok to facilitate Ozempic scams.



While Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs remain hard to get, Karnik says scammers will likely continue pressing hard.



“While there’s a shortage, it’s an opportunity for the scammers,” he says. “Demand will be met better at some point than it is today, but in the meantime, the scammers are taking advantage.”