Social media ad for "guaranteed weight loss" leads to a fake-doctor call centre that takes lakhs
A Facebook or Instagram ad promises effortless weight loss. A call centre poses as certified dietitians and a famous doctor, sends genuine-looking medicines to build trust, then upsells escalating health packages over months — one Surat victim paid ₹1.77 crore.
Also known as: fake weight loss medicine scam, fake doctor health package fraud, wellness call centre scam India, Curest Science fraud, fake dietitian WhatsApp scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
Call 1930 now- 1 Call 1930 — the national cyber-crime helpline — right now. The sooner you report, the better the chance of freezing the money before it moves.
- 2 Call your bank to freeze the account and block the card immediately. Use the number printed on your card, never a number from the message or caller.
- 3 File a report at cybercrime.gov.in and keep every message, screenshot, and transaction ID.
What to do right now
- 1 Stop all payments immediately — real weight loss requires no multi-lakh upfront treatment package
- 2 Verify any doctor's name at the Medical Council of India registry at https://www.mciindia.org before paying
- 3 Verify any food supplement company at the FSSAI portal (https://foscos.fssai.gov.in) before buying
- 4 Block the contact and report the WhatsApp account to WhatsApp as a scam
- 5 If you paid by UPI or bank transfer, call your bank immediately and file a complaint at https://cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930 (national cyber helpline).
Red flags
- ⚠ You found this service through a social media ad — not through a hospital, certified clinic, or registered dietitian
- ⚠ You are communicating only via WhatsApp or phone; the 'doctor' has never given you a registration number you can verify with the Medical Council of India
- ⚠ Prices escalate rapidly: initial package ₹3,000–10,000, then 'advanced treatment' packages worth lakhs
- ⚠ The company or doctor name cannot be verified on the FSSAI food product registry, MCI doctor database, or company registrar
- ⚠ Physical goods arrive — medicines, powders, supplements — to create the illusion the business is real, before major amounts are demanded
- ⚠ You are told only this programme can reverse your condition and you will regain weight or your disease will worsen if you stop mid-way
Sources
- India TV News — Gujarat woman's weight loss dream turns into Rs 1.77 crore scam (June 30, 2026)
- ProKerala — Gujarat Police bust alleged Gurugram call centre after woman loses Rs 1.77 crore in weight-loss scam
- Bombay Samachar — Surat Police bust fake weight-loss scam; Rs 75–80 crore fraud suspected (Gujarati)
- LatestLY — Surat Cyber Crime Cell busts alleged ₹80 crore fake weight-loss scam network (July 2026)