You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail 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 scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks 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, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
