You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort 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 confirm this is correctly licensed.
