You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
