You've 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 in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
