By Bruce Gil
Soaring demand for Ozempic, Wegovy and other weight loss drugs has boosted business for another line of work: online scams.
That’s according to a report published Wednesday by digital security company McAfee. According to the firm’s Threat Research Team, malicious phishing scams tied to Ozempic, Wegovy, and semaglutide — the active ingredient in both medications — rose a whopping 183% in the first four months of 2024, compared with October through December of last year.
Although Ozempic can cost nearly $1,000 without insurance — Wegovy is even more expensive — Novo Nordisk expects its sales to rise between 19% to 24% in 2024. However, increasing demand has also made it hard for patients to get their prescriptions filled.
Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen said in March that the gap between demand for weight loss drugs and the supply is significant enough that it will take years to close.
What to watch out for
The high price of these highly-coveted prescription drugs and ongoing shortages have made their users prime targets for online scammers.
“Steep discounts and offers to purchase the drugs without a prescription are sure-fire signs of a scam,” the researchers wrote.
McAfee reminds people that Ozempic and similar drugs are only available with a prescription, so any seller offering them without requiring one is a scammer.
The researchers also said consumers should be wary of any unreasonable low prices and sellers who only accept non-standard payment methods like Bitcoin, Zelle, and Venmo.
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