You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
