Scammers' Counterfeit Goods 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
