You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
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 logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
