You have come across so much regarding the use of 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 expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions 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 fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
