You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no need 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 these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present 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 online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
