Fraudsters' Fake Goods 'May Lead to Real Harm'
You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. 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 scams. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.
The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.