You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
