You've 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 holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned 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, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
