You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice 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 “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
