You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, 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 networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
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 issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
