You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic 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 buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“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
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice 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 slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
