You've come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
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 confirm this is properly registered.
