You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose 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 located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
