You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
