You have heard and read 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 holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears 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 solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose 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 Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
