You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
