You have heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, 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 provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
