You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
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 warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.
Criminals 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, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
