Fraudsters' Fake Products 'Could Cause Real Harm'
You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.
But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.
The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.
The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.
Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.
Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims ÂŁ120, reports indicate.
“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.
How It Appears
Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.
The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.
With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.
“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.
Recommended Actions
Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.
Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.
Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.
