You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters 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 Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.
