You've come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
