You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
