Fraudsters' Fake Products 'Could Cause Real Harm'
You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.
Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.
