Fraudsters' Fake Goods 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers ÂŁ120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.