With the high demand for weight loss medications and the high costs of some of the prescriptions, scammers are trying to take advantage of those looking to save money.
On the real Costco website, you can see they are one of the pharmacies that now carries the newly available Wegovy tablets for members starting at $149 for the lowest doses.
That’s $50 cheaper than the injectable versions of the same doses for Wegovy or Ozempic through Costco. And while those prices are significantly lower than most patients have been paying, it can still be out of financial reach for many.
Which then leads people to search online for even better deals, or to click on social media ads.
But be careful, warns Amie Mitchell, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Oklahoma.
“So with weight loss medication, we see a lot of scams. What we are seeing is a lot of AI driven … celebrity… seems like endorsements for these weight loss drugs. The FDA has approved just a couple of weight loss drugs. You can check their website, and typically you have to have a prescription for that.” Amie says.
And since you need to have a prescription to get one of the FDA approved weight loss drugs just like it shows on the Costco webiste, Amie says if a website does not ask your for one, consider that a red flag.
“We have had consumers report purchasing weight loss drugs and then receiving nothing but the spice turmeric. So, be careful when you’re looking online for these weight loss drugs or weight loss companies that you find someone that is legitimate, typically, it’s going to be through your doctor.” she says.
Amie advises going through your doctor and making sure insurance pays for it first.
According to the BBB, people in more than 30 states, including Oklahoma, reported deep fake videos of celebrities like Oprah Winfrey looking like they were endorsing a product or supplements and the BBB warns not to get sucked into what they call a subscription trap.
“So my advice is, start with your doctor. That’s going to be your primary care. Ask them what they would advise. Any kind of medication you’re going to take anyway, or any new kind of fitness plan needs to be approved by your doctor anyway. So start with your physician, see what they recommend, and then go from there. And then, if you decide to purchase something online, make sure you check with BBB to make sure that the company is legitimate before you make that purchase.” says Amie.
Just like with any other online purchases, the BBB recommends using your credit card. That way if you either never get the medication, or get something that’s not what your ordered or they try to keep charging you. you can take it up with your credit card company and hopefully get your money back.