You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms 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. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
