You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
