You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
