You've come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures 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 scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present 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 based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
