Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You've heard and read so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers ÂŁ120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
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 extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
