You've heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
