You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.