You have come across a great deal 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. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, 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 buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers 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 located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.
