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You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.

Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.

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

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.

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

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks 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 online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.