You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
