You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement 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 nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities 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 take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
