You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities 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 communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.