You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks 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 internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
