You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
