You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
