You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases 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 “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers 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 internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
