Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'May Lead to Serious Damage'

You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

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

What it looks like

The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.

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

As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

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

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.