You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics 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 amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
