You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.
