You've heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
