You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring 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 fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
