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You've come across a great deal about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

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 site with more affordable medication – and with no need to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have warned against purchasing such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

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

How It Appears

The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or logos.

The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”.

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

“Buying from unverified sellers online can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure this is properly registered.