You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established 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 social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers 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.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic 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 serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
