You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail 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 scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. 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 updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned 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 provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
