You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate 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 almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns 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 warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
