🔗 Share this article

You have come across so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in fake goods entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.

The messages or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

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

Medical authorities have cautioned 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. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.