Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products '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 the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.

These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.