You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
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 slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
