You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
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 medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
