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You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.

Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.

New figures 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 stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.

The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.