🔗 Share this article

You've come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in spelling or logos.

These communications or updates will often use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.

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

What to do

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

Medical authorities have warned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.