You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
