You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
