You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
