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You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs 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 cost.

But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.

These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

What to do

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

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.