You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms 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 lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.
