You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
