You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
