You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
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. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted 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 , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile 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 medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
