You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
