You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.
Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page 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 this is correctly licensed.
