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 give it a go in the run-up to 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 chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
