You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
