The weight-loss drug boom has become one of the internet's biggest scams

Nbcwashington · 🇺🇸 public United States · Dec 08, 2024 · 2453 words · By Bob Woods; CNBC

Social Media Accountability Pharmaceutical Cybercrime Regulatory Conflict (FDA vs Compounders) GLP-1 Drug Shortages

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Daily briefing

What to know about Social Media Accountability

- Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk continue to ramp production facilities and capacity for booming weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, with Lilly this week announcing a $3 billion investment to increase obesity drug production at a Wisconsin plant.

Claims checked 20

Techniques found 2

Topics 4

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

- But supply and demand issues have led to a boom in pharmaceutical cybercrime, with cybersecurity firm McAfee's Threat Research Team tracking a continued rise throughout 2024 in malicious websites, scam emails and texts, posts on social media and online…

Common ground

- Consumers are flocking to TikTok and other social media platforms and websites to purchase branded and illicit GLP-1s, often without a prescription.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Social Media Accountability story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that In May, the KFF Health Tracking Poll found that about one in eight adults (12%) said they had taken a GLP-1 drug, with about half, or 21 million, actively using the medications?
How does this story connect Social Media Accountability with Pharmaceutical Cybercrime over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/business/money-report/the-weight-loss-drug-bo…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 20 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 10

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

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Claim 1: “In May, the KFF Health Tracking Poll found that about one in eight adults (12%) said they had taken a GLP-1 drug, with about half, or 21 million, actively using the medications.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 2: “Lilly this week announcing a $3 billion investment to increase obesity drug production at a Wisconsin plant.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of Wikipedia entries for a movie, a biblical figure, and a religious FAQ. None of the evidence mentions Eli Lilly or a $3 billion investment in Wisconsin.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Eli is a 2019 American supernatural horror film directed by Ciarán Foy from a screenplay by David Chirchirillo, Ian Goldberg, and Richard Naing, based on a story by Chirchirillo.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_(2019_film)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Eli (/ ˈilaɪ / EE-lye; Hebrew: עֵלִי, Modern: ʿElī, Tiberian: ʿĒlī, lit. 'ascent' or 'above'; Koine Greek: Ἠλί Ēlī́ or Ἠλεί Ēleí; Latin: Heli; fl. c. 11th century BC) was, according to the Book of Sam…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli_(biblical_figure)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jan 4, 2022 · Who was Eli in the Bible? Answer Eli in the Bible was a Jewish priest living in the days of the judges and serving God at the tabernacle in Shiloh, a city near the hill country of Ephrai…
https://www.gotquestions.org/Eli-in-the-Bible.html

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Claim 3: “Novo reported third-quarter earnings in line with expectations”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 4: “Hims & Hers... adding compounded semaglutide to its weight-loss program this past May.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 5: “Lilly fell short of profit and revenue expectations [in its third-quarter report on October 30]”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 6: “In April and December of 2022, respectively, the FDA determined that semaglutide and tirzepatide were in short supply”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim in the search results.

schedule

Claim 7: “People profiled 64 celebrities — including Kathy Bates, Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, Andy Cohen, Billie Jean King and Rob Lowe — who have talked about their weight-loss drug experiences”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 8: “From January through April, McAfee researchers discovered 449 risky website URLs and 176,871 dangerous phishing attempts centered around Ozempic, Wegovy and semaglutide, an increase of 183% compared to October through December 2023.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources (McAfee's own report and two other news/aggregator sites) explicitly confirm the figures: 449 risky URLs, 176,871 phishing attempts, and a 183% increase compared to Q4 2023.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Caroline Louise Beavan Johnson (née Symonds; born 17 March 1988) is an English media consultant, a senior advisor to the ocean conservation charity Oceana, and a patron of the Conservative Animal Welf…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Johnson

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The most common name for the American Civil War in modern American usage is simply "The Civil War". Although rarely used during the war, the term "War Between the States" became widespread afterward i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_the_American_Civil_Wa…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Philosophy (from Ancient Greek philosophía, lit. 'love of wisdom') is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, knowledge, mind, reason, language, and v…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 9: “on November 22, the FDA said it was still assessing the situation and agreed to not take action against compounders of tirzepatide until December 19”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 10: “McAfee's Threat Research Team tracking a continued rise throughout 2024 in malicious websites, scam emails and texts, posts on social media and online marketplace listings [related to weight-loss drugs].”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the evidence confirms McAfee is a cybersecurity company, there is no specific evidence provided in the search results that corroborates the 'Threat Research Team' tracking weight-loss drug scams specifically throughout 2024, other than general company descriptions.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — McAfee Corp. ( MAK-ə-fee), formerly known as McAfee Associates, Inc. from 1987 to 1997 and 2004 to 2014, Network Associates Inc. from 1997 to 2004, and Intel Security Group from 2014 to 2017, is an Am…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McAfee

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — John David McAfee (, MAK-ə-fee; 18 September 1945 – 23 June 2021) was a British and American computer programmer, businessman, and two-time U.S. presidential candidate who unsuccessfully sought the Li…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McAfee

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Trellix (Musarubra US LLC, formerly FireEye and McAfee Enterprise) is a privately held cybersecurity company founded in 2022. It provides hardware, software, and services to investigate cybersecurity …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trellix

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 11: “Hims & Hers acquired another [partner], MetasourceRx, in September.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 12: “JAMA Network Open in August published the results of a study... Among the 317 operations found, more than 42% were illegal”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm a study published in JAMA Network Open regarding illegal sales of semaglutide. One source specifically mentions the study 'sounded the alarm on illegal sales' and another mentions pharmacies selling it illegally.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Many online pharmacies that are selling semaglutide, the main ingredient in weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, are doing so illegally, according to new research.
https://www.cbs42.com/news/health/many-online-pharmacies-sel…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Abstract der Studie in JAMA Network Open.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Illegal Semaglutide Sales: What Ophthalmologists Need to Know. A 2024 study published in JAMA Network Open sounded the alarm on illegal sales of counterfeit—unregistered and falsified products—being s…
https://www.aao.org/eyenet/article/semaglutide-weight-loss-d…

schedule

Claim 13: “The FDA has sent warning letters to a handful, including Miami-based US Chem Labs in February”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 14: “seizure in the UK last year of hundreds of what appeared to be Ozempic pens, but were in fact insulin pens relabeled as Ozempic.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources (FXNEWS24 and timesnet.net) explicitly report the seizure in the UK of insulin pens that had been relabeled as Ozempic.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In the United Kingdom, authorities last year seized hundreds of counterfeit Ozempic pens — insulin pens that had been relabeled as Ozempic. “We saw that the demand increased and quite often as it happ…
https://fxnews24.co.uk/market/inside-the-black-market-of-obe…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A recent CNBC investigation explored the murky international world of counterfeit weight-loss drugs. Among its findings, investigators recounted the seizure in the UK last year of hundreds of what app…
https://timesnet.net/weight-loss-drug-boom-has-become-one-of…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Last year, a friend found an Ozempic pen left behind in the fridge at her Paris hotel room during the city’s Fashion Week.Otherwise, well, as Ozempic becomes more widely available and increasingly nor…
https://www.aol.co.uk/news/alarming-ozempic-being-misused-wo…

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Claim 15: “a federal court on Friday upheld a law that would seek to ban the company [TikTok] in the U.S. on Jan. 19”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources confirm a federal court upheld a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban by January 19. This is supported by web search results and a Wikipedia entry on efforts to ban TikTok.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The short-form video-hosting service TikTok was under a de jure nationwide ban in the United States from January 19, 2025, until January 22, 2026, due to the US government's concerns over potential u…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efforts_to_ban_TikTok_in_the_U…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — TikTok is a Chinese social networking service and short-form online video platform. It hosts user-submitted videos, which range in duration from three seconds to 60 minutes. It can be accessed through…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture LLC is a multinational technology company established in January 2026 to oversee TikTok's operations in the United States. It was formed to address U.S. nationa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok_USDS

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 16: “since January 1, the agency [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] had made more than 198 seizures of products labeled as Ozempic.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided for this claim in the search results.

schedule

Claim 17: “Novo's semaglutide is still listed as "currently in shortage" by the FDA”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 18: “between May and August, the number of [risky] URLs we found increased by 135%”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence discusses GLP-1 shortages and general weight loss, but none of the sources mention the specific '135% increase' in risky URLs between May and August.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Exchangeable image file format (officially Exif, according to JEIDA/JEITA/CIPA specifications) is a standard that specifies formats for images, sound, and ancillary tags used by digital cameras (inclu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exif

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — McAfee WebAdvisor, previously known as McAfee SiteAdvisor, is a service that reports on the safety of web sites by crawling the web and testing the sites it finds for malware and spam. A browser exten…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McAfee_WebAdvisor

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Patrick Justin McAfee ( MAK-ə-fee; born May 2, 1987) is an American sports analyst, color commentator, former professional wrestler, and former professional football punter and kickoff specialist. He …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_McAfee

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 19: “Novo told CNBC that as of mid-November, it is aware of 14 deaths and 144 hospitalizations of people who had taken compounded semaglutide”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided for this claim is completely irrelevant, discussing banking in Pennsylvania, slang meanings, and Danish cycling/physiology. No mention of Novo Nordisk or compounded semaglutide deaths/hospitalizations is present.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Semaglutide is an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and an anti-obesity medication used for weight management. It can be administered by subcutaneous injection or tak…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semaglutide

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 Danmark Rundt (officially PostNord Danmark Rundt 2024 for sponsorship reasons) was the 33rd edition of the Danmark Rundt road cycling stage race, which is the part of the 2024 UCI ProSeries. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Danmark_Rundt

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Schack August Steenberg Krogh (15 November 1874 – 13 September 1949) was a Danish professor at the department of zoophysiology at the University of Copenhagen from 1916 to 1945. He contributed a numb…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Krogh

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 20: “On October 2, the FDA declared that Lilly's tirzepatide was no longer in short supply”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.