🔗 Share this article

You have come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable medication – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

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

Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.

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

As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

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

Recommended Actions

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

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.