You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
