You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically 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.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
