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You have come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message arrives giving a link to a site with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent 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 are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.

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

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

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

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: should something seem too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.