You've come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent 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 company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
