You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
