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You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

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

What it looks like

Most occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.

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

As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist 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 expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.