🔗 Share this article

You have come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks.

The messages or posts will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is correctly licensed.