You've heard and read 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. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
