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You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

These communications 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, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

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

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.