You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often 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 scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
