Fraudsters' Fake Products 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of 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 comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.