You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
