You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage 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 this is correctly licensed.
