You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via 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 sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. 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 they are correctly licensed.
