You have come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
