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You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

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

These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

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

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

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 the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.