You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
