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You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal 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 major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

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

These communications or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” says the fraud expert.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. 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 look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.