You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
