You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
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 slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
