You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
