You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing 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 wise saying applies: 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 only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
