You have come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says 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 you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
