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You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, 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 getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or through social media, saying they might include “toxins 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 affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, an account may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in text or brand marks.

The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.