You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
