You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. 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. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
