Fraudsters' Counterfeit Goods 'May Lead to Serious Damage'

You've heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

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

The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.