You've heard and read a great deal about people using 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 going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, 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 stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters 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, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.
