You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel 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 instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link 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, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
