Scammers' Fake Products 'Could Cause Real Harm'

You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.

The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage 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 online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.