You have come across so much regarding the use of 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 alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
