You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams 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 via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
