You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
