You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
