You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures 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 scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
