You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge 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, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen 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 soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
