Scammers' Fake Products 'May Lead to Serious Damage'

You've come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.

These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.