Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'May Lead to Serious Damage'

You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed 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. At best, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.

The messages 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, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.