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You've heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams established to simply take people’s money.

Medical regulators have warned against buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority take place on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.

These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.