You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring 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 networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.
