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You have heard and read so much about people using weight loss injections to lose weight, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in cost.

But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices established to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components that could cause real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, 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 posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” more cheaply.

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

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As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure this is correctly licensed.