You've heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
