Scammers' Fake Goods 'May Lead to Serious Damage'
You have heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.