You have come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
