You have heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, 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 media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
