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You've come across a great deal about people using 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 cost.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.

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

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.