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You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.

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

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.