Scammers' Counterfeit Products 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths 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 online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
