You've come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
