You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
