Fraudsters' Fake Goods 'May Lead to Real Harm'

You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.

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

As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.