You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
