You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products 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, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing 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 mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned 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. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
