You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
