You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. 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 urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
