Fraudsters' Fake Goods 'May Lead to Real Harm'

You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

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 much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.

Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.

These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.