You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
