A hospital trust in southern London has issued a warning following the spread of deceptive videos online suggesting that its staff endorse weight loss products.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust stated that these clips, which have appeared on social media sites such as Facebook and TikTok, “incorrectly assert that several of our clinicians are using and promoting these items.”

According to the Trust, the videos—which depict individuals resembling doctors applying weight loss patches and experiencing weight reduction over time—are likely generated by artificial intelligence and do not feature any actual medical professionals from their staff.

The BBC has reached out to the purported creator of the products, but has not received a reply.

In an interview with the BBC, Dr. Daghni Rajasingam, the Trust’s deputy chief medical officer, mentioned that staff are “actively pursuing” efforts to have the misleading videos removed.

“They are deceptive and misinforming,” Rajasingam commented.

“NHS clinicians would never advocate for or endorse commercial products of this nature.”

The doctor encouraged the public to obtain weight loss guidance from “reliable NHS sources.”

“We must recognize that AI-generated imagery can be convincingly realistic,” she added.

Graham Barrows, a financial crime specialist and host of The Dark Money Files podcast, informed the BBC that both the advertisements and the social media accounts disseminating this content are entirely “nonsense.”

When questioned about the motivations behind the creation of these videos, Barrows attributed it to financial gain.

“This product being promoted can actually be purchased from reputable online retailers,” he noted, while advising caution, suggesting that consumers might receive the product if they placed an order.

Barrows further described the product as a “natural herbal remedy.”

“The true scam is their attempt to persuade you to buy something that may or may not be effective—I can’t say—but everything they claim to be—doctors, successful former dieters—is pure fiction.”

Barrows, who’s an advisor on financial fraud and its various forms, explained: “When there’s a chance to profit from something, scammers are quick to capitalize on it, and products related to weight loss represent an irresistible opportunity.”

He detailed using online tools to investigate the Facebook profile of one of the so-called doctors promoting the weight loss advertisements.

By conducting an image search, he discovered that the profile picture of the supposed doctor was originally taken from a Romanian bank advertisement.

Barrows noted that while the advertisement claimed the weight loss patches were “produced in the UK,” the packaging displayed in the video “clearly features the French flag.”

Another red flag pointing to the account’s inauthenticity was that the 1,000 followers of the doctor’s Facebook page were exclusively from Vietnam. He emphasized that such indicators should help individuals identify fraudulent accounts.

“The reality is, the individuals marketing this product are attempting to bypass your logical reasoning; they want to resonate with your desire to lose weight, which can cloud your judgment and lead to a quick decision to buy,” Barrows said.

He advised consumers to conduct “basic checks” on products prior to any purchase.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust expressed hope that anyone encountering the deceptive videos online would report them to the relevant social media platforms where they are circulating.

Additional reporting by Lotta Haegg.