You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
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 located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
