Scammers' Counterfeit Products 'Could Cause Serious Damage'

You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.

These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.