Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'May Lead to Serious Damage'

You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to 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 similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.

These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.