You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
