You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. 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 almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. 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 this is correctly licensed.
