You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
