You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
