You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
