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 holiday period. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
