You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
