You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
