You have 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 holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, 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 no product and lose 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 legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications 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, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters 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 based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
