Scammers' Counterfeit Products 'Could Cause Serious Damage'

You've heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.

The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

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As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile 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 medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.