You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of 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 getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. 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. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients 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 deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
