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You've heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

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

Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills 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 costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile 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 “free giveaway”.

As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, rose of late, the scammers will price their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can entail a serious monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says 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 cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are properly registered.