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You've come across a great deal regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.

The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.