You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications 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 recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
