You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state 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 this is properly registered.
