Scammers' Fake Products 'May Lead to Real Harm'
You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
