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You've heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.

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

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Buying from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.