You have 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 festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.
The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, 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 serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take 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 digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
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 amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring 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. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.
Recommended Actions
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
