You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
