Scammers' Fake Goods 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You have come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers ÂŁ120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
