You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics 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 amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.
