Scammers' Fake Products 'May Lead to Real Harm'

You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

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

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.

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

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

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

What to do

As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.