Scammers' Fake Goods 'May Lead to Serious Damage'
You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections 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 getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive 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 increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price 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 significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.
