You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity 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 total sum 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 these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
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. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
