Scammers' Fake Products 'Could Cause Real Harm'
You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
