You've heard and read a great deal 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 holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.
