You've come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
