You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, 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.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients 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 scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.