You have heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile 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 they are correctly licensed.
