You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than 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 need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
