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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 festive season. However, the issue lies in cost.

Yet it appears there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

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

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.