You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link 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 the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
