You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
