You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.
