You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, 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 lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
