You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
