You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose 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 legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients 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 scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.
