Scammers' Fake Products 'Could Cause Real Harm'
You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers ÂŁ120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
