You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
