You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
