You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
