You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns 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 highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
