You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
