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You've heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems alternatives exist instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no need to go through official channels. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice 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 skyrocketing in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.

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

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant financial, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

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 cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals 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 based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.