Scammers' Fake Products 'May Lead to Serious Damage'

You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.

The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

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

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.