You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, 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 getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, medical 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.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.