You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, 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 provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
