You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation 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, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
