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You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money 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 fake goods entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street 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 lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.

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

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.