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You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.

These communications or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.