You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying 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 quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.
