You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
