You have heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage 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. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose 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 online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
