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You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, 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 simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances 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 impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.

These communications or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

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

What to do

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

Health regulators 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 issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals 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, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.