You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
