You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving 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. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
