You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
