You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, 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 communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand 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 “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
