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You have come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.

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

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.

The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.

“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.