You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need 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 almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
