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. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
