You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
