You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, 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 entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, health-related 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 highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
