You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. At 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 increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines 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 major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“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.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
