You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
