You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like 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 obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
