You've come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. 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 comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages 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, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
