Fraudsters' Counterfeit Goods 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities 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 previous three months. The average scam costs victims ÂŁ120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears 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 licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
