You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating 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 clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
