You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. 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 frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script 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 online profile look as authentic as possible. 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 ensure they are correctly licensed.
