You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. 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 the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
