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You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing 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 imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.

The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

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

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.