You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
