Scammers' Fake Goods 'May Lead to Real Harm'
You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
