You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector 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. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script 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 design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
