You have heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
