You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
