You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers 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 fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. 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 correctly licensed.
