You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
