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. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
