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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. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through scams related to weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the total sum lost in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may mimic the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or brand marks.

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

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

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications via the web. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.