Fraudsters' Counterfeit Products 'May Lead to Real Harm'
You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.
But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.
The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.
New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.
How It Appears
Most occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.
These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.
With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.
What to do
As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.
Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.
