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You have come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.

These communications or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can entail a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the old adage applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page 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 medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.