You've heard and read a great deal 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. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be 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 some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
