You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through 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 social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to 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 prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, 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”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
