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Attorney General Mayes and Better Business Bureau Warn Arizonans About Weight Loss Scams Fueled by AI

Press Release - Attorney General Kris Mayes

PHOENIX — To kick off Consumer Protection Week, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and the Better Business Bureau's Joe Ducey are teaming up in a new public service announcement to warn consumers about a growing wave of weight loss scams that use artificial intelligence to create deceptive ads, fake celebrity endorsements, and too-good-to-be-true offers for GLP-1 drugs and other products.

With demand for GLP-1 medications at an all-time high, scammers are capitalizing on consumer interest with fraudulent offers — including a "$32 GLP-1 shot" that turned out to be a membership fee, ultimately costing one victim more than $670. Another consumer paid $70 for weight loss patches that were nothing more than collagen.

"Enough is enough," said Attorney General Mayes. "AI is making it easier than ever for scammers to create convincing fake ads and videos. My office recently joined other Attorneys General urging Meta to enforce its AI policies on Instagram and Facebook and take down these fraudulent ads before more Arizonans lose their hard-earned money."

AI-generated content has made these scams increasingly difficult to detect. One viral video falsely claimed a woman lost 203 pounds in just three weeks — the kind of dramatic, fabricated result designed to exploit consumers desperate for real solutions.

"Fake celebrity endorsements and AI-generated results are being used to manipulate people at a vulnerable moment," said BBB's Joe Ducey. "Consumers need to slow down, do their research, and verify before they buy."

Tips to Protect Yourself:

  • Be skeptical of ads promising dramatic weight loss results for unusually low prices
  • Don't blindly trust celebrity or expert endorsements — verify them independently
  • Purchase medications and supplements only from reputable sites and licensed pharmacies
  • Search any product or business at BBB.org before buying
  • Look up scams in BBB’s scam tracker: BBB.org/scamtracker

If you believe you have been the victim of consumer fraud, file a complaint at www.azag.gov/consumer. To request a complaint form, contact the Attorney General's Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431.

The PSA may also be downloaded here.

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