Scammers' Counterfeit Goods 'Could Cause Serious Damage'

You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

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

How It Appears

The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.

These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.

“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.