Scammers' Counterfeit Products 'Could Cause Real Harm'
You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
