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You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams involving weight loss injections, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

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

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.