Key Summary
- Over 5,000 fake UK pharmacy websites are selling dangerous drugs and launching cyberattacks, says Avast
- Fraudsters use AI, fake health blogs, counterfeit labels, and crypto payments to scam vulnerable people
- Experts urge the public to only use UK-registered pharmacies and check for the official pharmacy logo
Over 5,000 fake pharmacy websites are functioning in the UK selling hazardous drugs and conducting cyberattacks to defraud the public, says Avast, a cyber safety brand by Gen.
Avast claims that in 2025, it has so far thwarted more than a million attacks from these sites targeting its customers.
Many of these sites masquerade as legitimate operations complete with professional layouts, fabricated customer service details, and comprehensive product listings.
The study had outed as fraudulent URLs such as mydiscountpills.eu and 77pharmacy.
Buyers looking for products related to sexual health, hormone therapy, erectile dysfunction and weight loss are their main target.
These sites can dispatch authentic-looking items bearing counterfeit labels and false expiry dates for medications like Ozempic or Viagra, with spurious or harmful contents.
These online pharmacies resort to ‘PharmaFraud’ - a targeted cyberattack, utilising AI, to loot people’s money, personal data, etc.
The fraudsters hijack legitimate sites, manipulate search engines to ensure greater visibility of their sites and use AI to generate ‘health blogs’, high ratings and provide customer support.
They accept payments via cryptocurrency and unsecured checkout forms.
Avast chief technology officer Siggi Stefnisson said the fraudsters target people who are vulnerable, feeling desperate, or generally in need. “That's why awareness and vigilance are critical," he added.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society director Laura Wilson said that websites that offer prescription only medicines without a prescription are acting illegally.
Customers have been advised to use only UK registered pharmacies, and look for the official pharmacy logo on the website and check for real customer service information.
