You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
