You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting 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
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, 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”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
