You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you 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. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.