Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'May Lead to Real Harm'

You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, 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.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.

These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

What to do

As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.