You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
