You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
