Overseas fraudsters are reportedly using the names of trusted British medical bodies to sell products on social media platforms, Which? has warned. Adverts for products such as dental treatments, weight-loss aids, and asthma sprays have been found using fake endorsements from organisations including the British Dental Association (BDA), Boots, Guy's and St Thomas', and Asthma + Lung UK.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) states that adverts must not display trust marks or falsely claim approval without authorisation. However, Which? found numerous examples on Facebook and Instagram. The BDA confirmed it has seen repeated attempts to market products using its name and has found no effective way to remove them.
Meta's ad library estimates indicate that adverts for a dental product, falsely claiming BDA endorsement, were seen by over a million Meta profiles between 14 and 29 September. Another advert for a weight-loss product, using logos from Boots and Guy's and St Thomas’, had been viewed over 9,000 times. Boots confirmed this advert was not genuine and regularly flags scam posts to social media platforms.
An asthma spray advert, claiming endorsements from Asthma + Lung UK experts and UKCA verification, was published by advertisers based in Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and the US. This advert amassed an estimated 100,000+ views between 13 May and 29 September. Asthma + Lung UK confirmed no association with the ad.
While the Online Safety Act (OSA) includes rules on scam advertising, these have not yet come into force. Ofcom, the regulator responsible for enforcing these rules, states that claims of medical product approval or legality without a prescription are common examples of fraud. Meta stated it removed the ads brought to its attention for violating policies, noting that malicious groups constantly evolve techniques to evade detection.
The ASA deals with such cases through its scam ad alert system, rather than traditional complaints, as it regulates legitimate businesses and not criminal actors. Through this system, it alerts relevant platforms and organisations to take action.