You've come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector 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.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
