People are being warned not to fall for misinformation or sales pitches from online scammers purporting to offer advice from doctors about diabetes medicines. Photo: 123rf
- New Zealand doctors have been targeted by scammers pretending to sell treatments for Type 2 diabetes
- People with Type 2 diabetes have fallen for the scam, buying fake medicines
- Doctors say patients should be cautious and should not stop or change medication based on social media advice - even if it looks like it is from a New Zealand doctor in a photo or video
People with Type 2 diabetes have been warned to be cautious about buying medicine online, after several ads featuring New Zealand doctors selling treatments for the disease were found to be fake.
The New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes said the deepfake videos were created using artificial intelligence with real footage, to make it look like a genuine doctor was speaking, when they were not.
President Dr Jo McClintock said she knew of at least three doctors whose image and names had been used by the scammers - one in November and two in the last two months - and several patients were thought to have bought the scam supplements.
"That's not to say there aren't more [doctors targeted]. It's only through people living with diabetes who have reached out, that we've been made aware of these social media posts."
People should check in with their GP or health professional teams if they were getting messages about medicines that seemed too good to be true, she said.
The ads were also "very clever", she added.
"There are international examples as well, where they're saying they're ground-breaking treatments that will cure your diabetes and you don't need to take your medications anymore."
One of the biggest worries was the misinformation being spread, she added.
"People are are at risk taking unapproved treatments, potentially unsafe supplements and stopping their current prescribed medications."
McClintock said anyone who had paid for a product after seeing one of the ads should report it to police.
Medical advice on social media - staying safe
- Do not stop or change your medication based on social media advice - even if it looks like it is from a New Zealand doctor in a photo or video
- Deepfake videos often make big claims, such as a new "ground-breaking" treatment that "works for everyone." These are not trustworthy. Check with your doctor or healthcare provider before buying a diabetes or weight loss treatment online
- Type 2 diabetes is different for each person. Treatment should always be personalised, taking into account other health conditions and medications
Get reliable information from trusted sources, like Healthify or Diabetes New Zealand.
If you're unsure about an advert you've seen online, check with the trusted sources above. If you are thinking about changing your medication, check with your doctor or diabetes nurse first.
If you have paid for a product after seeing one of these ads, you can report it to the NZ Police by calling 105, or on the police website's fraud and cybercrime page.
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