You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
