You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying 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 impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site 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 pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
