You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
