You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
