Fraudsters' Fake Goods 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications 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 recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.