You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy 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 go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
