You have come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
