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You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

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

How It Appears

The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.

The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.