You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
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 “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort 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 medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
