You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order 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 major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
