🔗 Share this article

You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

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

These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

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

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is properly registered.