You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins 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 affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
