You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
