Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'May Lead to Real Harm'
You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.