Scammers' Fake Goods 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You've 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 expense.
Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.
The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.
“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
What it looks like
Most 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 spelling or brand marks.
The messages or posts will often 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 price their “item” lower.
“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.
Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state 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.
