You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
