You have heard and read so much 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 cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
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 subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: 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 healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
