You've come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage 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 website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
