You have heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
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 buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
