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You've come across so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a increase in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters 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 occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.

The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

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

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.