You have 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. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.
These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.
