You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the 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 rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks 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 based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
