You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
