You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing 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 networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
