You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. 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 severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
