You've heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
