You have come across a great deal 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 cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price 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 come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
