You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw 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 no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
