You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
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.
