You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go 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. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
