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You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

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

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.

The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.