You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, saying they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem 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 with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
