You've come across so much 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 festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause 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 weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, 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 posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears 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 only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.
