You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
