You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs 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 these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
