You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams 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, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
