Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'May Lead to Serious Damage'

You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.