Around 5,000 bogus pharmacy websites were accessed by UK consumers in 2025, according to cybersecurity firm Avast
SLIMMERS are risking death by buying dodgy weight-loss jabs from thousands of fake online pharmacies, watchdogs have warned.
Around 5,000 bogus pharmacy websites were accessed by UK consumers in 2025, according to cybersecurity firm Avast.
And the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency disrupted more than 1,500 websites illegally selling medicines to the public last year.
Kathie Cashell, chief executive of pharmacy regulator the General Pharmaceutical Council, warned the sites can be so realistic it is “very easy to be duped by them”.
She said: “Because these pharmacies are not regulated in any way, we don’t know what they’re selling.
“It could be counterfeit. It could be completely fake. It could be dangerous substances. “It might be that they’re just taking your money and not sending you anything.”
Regulators fear they are fighting a game of “whack-a-mole” as rogue websites and social media accounts can rapidly disappear before popping up again elsewhere.
The boom has been fuelled by soaring interest in GLP-1 weight-loss medications which Ms Cashell said was “blurring of the lines between what’s a medication and what’s a lifestyle choice”.
Even customers who receive genuine drugs from illegal sellers could be at risk because they may not have had a consultation about side effects or existing health conditions.
The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies estimates there are 35,000 active pharmacy websites worldwide, with 95% failing to comply with regulations and standards.
Labour MP and pharmacist Sadik al-Hassan said: “This is organised crime, exploiting loopholes in our system to put people at risk.” Regulators are now urging tech giants to rapidly remove illegal sellers and stop search engines and social media algorithms directing users towards fake pharmacies.