🔗 Share this article

You have heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the chemist. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to go for it.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring 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, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or logos.

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

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, 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 using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.