You've come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage 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 online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
