You have come across 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 festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
