You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
