You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often 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 recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
