You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
