You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals 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 the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
