You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
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 online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
