You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.
