You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state 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 correctly licensed.
