Kalpa Media House | New Delhi |
A new report by McAfee has revealed a sharp rise in health and wellness-related online scams in India, with nearly 66% of Indians reporting that they have encountered such frauds.
According to the study, scams ranging from fake online pharmacies and fraudulent fitness products to misleading medical advice and AI-generated content are becoming increasingly difficult to identify. The report highlights that scammers are exploiting people’s trust in influencers, wellness trends, and emerging technologies to spread misinformation and deceive consumers.
The findings show that 71% of Indians, particularly young adults, are being actively targeted by these scams. Many respondents admitted being pressured into taking immediate action, such as clicking on links in advertisements (31%), opening links shared via social media or messaging apps (31%), downloading suspicious apps or files (26%), and scanning QR codes (23%).
The nature of scams is also evolving. Fake weight-loss or fitness products (23%), misleading information about diseases or treatments (20%), fake supplements (18%), and fraudulent medical “cures” (18%) are among the most common. Additionally, impersonation scams involving healthcare providers (13%) and even government health agencies (10%) are on the rise.
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Social media at the center:
The report identifies social media platforms as the primary source of both health information and scams. Around 64% of Indians encounter health-related content on social media at least once a week, while 53% say they have come across scams on these platforms. Messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram (37%) also play a significant role.
Influencer trust being exploited:
The study found that 55% of Indians are influenced by celebrity or influencer endorsements when it comes to health advice. Scammers are increasingly leveraging this trust using AI-generated or manipulated content. Over half (54%) of respondents said they have seen health-related content endorsed by public figures that later turned out to be fake or misleading.
Expert warning:
“Health and wellness have become a bigger part of people’s daily lives online, but so have the risks,” said Pratim Mukherjee, Senior Director of Engineering at McAfee India. He warned that AI is making scams more convincing and harder to detect, urging consumers to verify information and avoid clicking on suspicious links.
Safety tips:
McAfee recommends that users limit sharing personal information, avoid sending money to unknown sources, verify links before clicking, and use AI-powered security tools to stay protected online.
The report is based on a global survey conducted in January 2026, which included 7,000 respondents, with 1,000 participants from India.
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