You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, 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 online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
