You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins 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 fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. 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 ensure this is correctly licensed.
