You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
