You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose 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 authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
