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You've come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen 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 such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, 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 posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is correctly licensed.