You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive 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 hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “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 affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, 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 certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
