You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions 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.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
