You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail 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 overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
