You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
