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You have heard and read a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you spent. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.

The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

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