You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem 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 issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
