Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'May Lead to Real Harm'
You've come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences 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 slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
