You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.
