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You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

The majority take place 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 spelling or logos.

The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.