You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers 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 internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
