You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
