You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, 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 spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications 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, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant 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.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
