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You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, 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 there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.

The messages or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.