You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
