Fraudsters' Counterfeit Goods 'Could Cause Serious Damage'
You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.
But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.
The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.
“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.
“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.
What to do
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.
Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.
Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.
