You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently 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 fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. 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 correctly licensed.
