You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
