Prescription / Pharmacy Scams

Patients using MyChart and other healthcare patient portals are being targeted by phishing emails and text messages designed to steal login credentials, with scammers also impersonating healthcare providers to trick users into downloading malware or revealing personal health information. While the MyChart system itself has not been breached, successful attacks could expose sensitive medical records, insurance details, and personal identifying information that criminals could use for medical identity theft, fraudulent insurance claims, or sale on the dark web. Patients are advised to access their accounts only through official apps and to avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages, even if they appear legitimate.

The Better Business Bureau and Madison County medical experts are warning consumers about a surge in online GLP-1 weight loss drug scams, which have generated 170 reports nationally since January, often involving fake pharmacies, deepfake celebrity endorsements, and unauthorized subscription charges exceeding $600. Scammers exploit high demand for these medications by offering counterfeit or diluted products through realistic fake storefronts, putting victims at risk of financial loss, severe infections, and ineffective treatment due to lack of legitimate medical oversight. Red flags include suspiciously low prices (under $100/month), requests for wire transfers or Cash App payments, and any offers bypassing prescription requirements and clinical screening.

Wisconsin seniors lost over $92 million to scams in the past year, with AI-powered scams using deepfake videos and spoofing techniques becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly targeting those ages 60 and older through social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Scammers use AI-generated deepfake ads directing seniors to fake websites and chatbots that collect personal information, often exploiting seniors' lower digital literacy and preference for speaking with live representatives. Meta reportedly generates approximately $16 billion (10% of its ad revenue) from scam advertisements, despite having review teams and policies designed to prevent such content from appearing on its platforms.

The Better Business Bureau warns of rising scams targeting consumers seeking affordable GLP-1 weight loss drugs, including fraudulent websites, unauthorized charges, and fake celebrity endorsements using AI-generated deepfakes. Victims report losses ranging from $40 to over $300, with scammers either charging without delivering products or sending ineffective counterfeit medications. Red flags include ads claiming no prescription is needed, demands for payment via cash app or wire transfer, and fake endorsements from celebrities and doctors.

GLP-1 weight loss medication scams are proliferating online, with the BBB Scam Tracker reporting numerous complaints involving unauthorized charges, non-delivery of products, and fraudulent deepfake celebrity endorsements. Victims have lost hundreds of dollars through fake websites, compounded medication sellers, and AI-generated videos falsely promoting weight loss products by trusted figures like Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Mark Hyman. Common schemes include unauthorized billing ($91 instead of $40, repeated $670 charges), failed refunds despite approval, and receiving products that don't match advertised ingredients or are never shipped.

Scammers exploit personal data found on data broker websites to create convincing healthcare and Medicare fraud schemes using QR codes that disguise their malicious destinations. Criminals can place fake QR codes in doctor's offices, pharmacies, and hospitals to trick patients into visiting fraudulent websites and surrendering sensitive information like Medicare numbers, login credentials, and credit card details. Protecting yourself requires both recognizing suspicious QR codes and limiting your personal information available online through data brokers and people-search websites.

A Chicago man named Tao Wu was sentenced to 2½ years in prison for orchestrating a scam that stole over $135,000 from an elderly Marathon County woman's life savings. Wu received a total sentence of 7½ years (split between prison time and extended supervision) and was ordered to pay restitution, maintain employment, and avoid contact with the victim. Elderly residents should be cautious of unsolicited financial requests and contact from strangers, verify requests through independent means, and report suspicious activity to local authorities immediately.

A criminal group called "Outsider" has been using AI to create thousands of fake websites and send millions of deceptive text messages impersonating mobile carriers, banks, and delivery services, resulting in $1.9 billion in losses since July 2023. The scam typically lures victims to counterfeit sites through texts about expiring rewards or undelivered packages, where they're tricked into entering banking credentials and one-time passwords that fraudsters use to steal their information. To protect yourself, verify any alerts by contacting your bank or carrier directly using official phone numbers, never click links in unsolicited texts, and be skeptical of urgent requests to log in or claim prizes.

Since the FDA approved over-the-counter hearing aids, scammers have been selling cheap, unregulated fake hearing aids (often called PSAPs) that look legitimate but don't work or are low-quality, targeting older adults on tight budgets with prices that seem too good to be true. Victims risk wasting money, exposing personal information to criminals, and ending up with hearing aids that don't function as promised. To protect yourself, verify FDA registration, watch out for claims that hearing loss can be cured, and be skeptical of suspiciously low prices or high-pressure sales tactics pushing you to buy immediately.

Advanced AI image-generation tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT Images 2.0 can now create highly realistic deepfakes of documents and alerts—including fake prescriptions, bank notifications, IDs, and passports—making them effective weapons for fraud and scams. The technology is particularly dangerous because it can accurately render text within images, a capability previous AI models struggled with, enabling criminals to deceive the general public through convincing forgeries. To protect yourself, be skeptical of unexpected financial alerts or requests, verify communications through official channels directly, and stay informed about emerging deepfake technology so you can spot suspicious imagery.