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You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text 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 some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.