You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
