You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures 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 lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. 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.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
