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You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they might include “toxins and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

Most occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.

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

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

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

Recommended Actions

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, it says. When procured from other sources, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.