You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
