You've come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
