You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms 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'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam 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.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. 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 ensure this is correctly licensed.
