You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
