You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
Yet it appears there are other options 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 requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying 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. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
