Scammers' Counterfeit Products 'May Lead to Serious Damage'
You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “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 involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims ÂŁ120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.