Fraudsters' Fake Products 'May Lead to Real Harm'
You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.
The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.