You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
