You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September 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 deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical 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.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
