You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
