You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
