You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. 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 providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
