You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
