Scammers' Fake Goods 'Could Cause Real Harm'
You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.