Fraudsters' Fake Goods 'Could Cause Real Harm'

You've come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.

The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.