You have heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose 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 the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
