You've come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
