You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
