Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'Could Cause Serious Damage'

You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.

These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

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

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.