You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
