You've heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
