OPINION: AI posing at well-known docs to hawk products

Dubious or fake health-care products are becoming easier to hawk with the advent of artificial intelligence, particularly through bogus endorsements that appear to come from well-known doctors.

For example, a video earlier this year showed a fake Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for CNN, claiming he had developed a honey product that could cure Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Joel Bervell, who uses social media to combat medical misinformation, was also a somewhat ironic target when his image and voice were used to promote dubious health products.

In fact, the digital risk protection company BrandShield said its investigation into a few suspicious cases uncovered a “sprawling, multi-platform network” that impersonated trusted health-care providers on paid ads, social media and scam websites. “At its core is a surge of fake ads promoting fake ’miracle’ health products for chronic conditions: GLP-1 weight-loss alternatives, arthritis creams, bronchitis inhalers, glaucoma drops and more,” BrandShield says. “These products are completely fraudulent.”

Bogus health products, quack treatment claims and supposed medical breakthroughs have plagued the medical profession for ages, but the advent of AI and social media have made scammers’ efforts appear much more legitimate to many more people. “At best, these scams only steal patients’ money and do not deliver a product,” BrandShield says. “At worst, they pose serious health risks and severely damage the reputation of a legitimate brand.”

The main thing for consumers to watch for is anything labeled a “wonder drug” or “miracle cure.” If it seems too good to be true, it likely is.

If something does catch your attention, do some research. For example, learn who is sponsoring the ad or post. Is it a legitimate organization? Try to find evidence of a “breakthrough” through other sources that have credibility.

When it comes to recognizing anything that is AI-generated, look at lip movements to see if they look natural and eyes and eyebrows to see if there are shadows in places you would expect.

Also, look for visual inconsistencies such as blurred backgrounds or flickering edges.

Fake Gmail security alerts

Watch for the latest fake Gmail security alert, in which users get an email or phone call saying someone has tried to hack their account and their password must be reset. The scammers then send a separate reset, and the user is told to enter their login credentials, thereby providing access to the account.

Be suspicious of unsolicited emails that ask for passwords or other personal information and do not click on any offered links.

Contact Ellen Marks at emarks@abqjournal.com if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division at 505-490-4060. Complaints can be filed electronically at nmag.gov/contact-us/file-a-complaint/.