You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.
The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.
