You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing 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 networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile 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 medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
