Scammers' Counterfeit Products 'Could Cause Real Harm'

You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to 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 arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. 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 overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

Most occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, 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 “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.