You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
