Paris - The international police organization Interpol warned Thursday that criminals may use fears over the swine flu outbreak to sell fake medicines via the internet.

"It has been seen time and time again that following a global threat or natural disaster, criminals exploit the situation for their own financial gain and in this situation they are searching to take advantage of people's fears about their health," Interpol's Executive Director of Police Services, Jean-Michel Louboutin, said in Lyon.

"By responding to spam swine flu emails or attempting to order medication online through illegal and unregulated websites, people are risking their well-being and their money," he warned.