You've heard and read 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 expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
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 “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. 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 internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.
