You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
