You've heard and read so much 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. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
