Scammers' Fake Goods 'May Lead to Serious Damage'
You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
