You've come across a great deal 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. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page 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 this is correctly licensed.
