You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
