You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
