You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling 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 some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
