You've come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
