Scammers' Counterfeit Products 'Could Cause Real Harm'
You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL 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 go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers ÂŁ120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
