You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
