You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place 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 text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
