You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
