You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. 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.
