You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
