You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
