You've come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
