Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'Could Cause Serious Damage'

You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.

But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.