Fraudsters' Fake Goods 'Could Cause Serious Damage'

You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

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

What it looks like

The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic 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 “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

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

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.