Deep Dive on Supplement Scams: How AI Drives ‘Miracle Cures’ and Sponsored Health-Related Scams on Social Media

Bitdefender Labs reports a surge in health-related supplement scams on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger (Mar–May 2024), where threat actors used AI-generated deepfakes to impersonate celebrities and medical professionals, pushing over 40 bogus products through thousands of pages and tens of thousands of ads tailored by language, geography, and demographics. Researchers observed more than 1,000 deepfake videos and pages with up to 350,000 followers, with campaigns driving victims to clone sites and phone-based upselling under urgency, false reviews, and fabricated endorsements; the report outlines red flags and practical defenses (verification, healthcare consultation, payment caution, WHOIS checks, and anti-fraud tools).