You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities 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 medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
