You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities 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. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
