You have 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 ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
