You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. 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 online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
