You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost 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 the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
