You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
