You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
