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You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling 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 weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.