Scammers' Fake Goods 'Could Cause Real Harm'
You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.
Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take 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 through digital platforms, saying they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.
New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity 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 between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.
These communications 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, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals 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 Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.
