You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
