You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with 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 highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost 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,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
