You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
