You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September 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 medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
