You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.
