You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs 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 such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
