🔗 Share this article Scammers' Counterfeit Goods 'Could Cause Real Harm' You've come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. However, the issue lies in cost. But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a site with more affordable drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms the other day, prompting you to go for it. The catch is such promotions are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues. The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams set up to merely steal people’s money. Health authorities have advised avoiding buying these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they could contain “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”. New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the total sum stolen through scams involving slimming jabs, injector pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions 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 deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud. What it looks like The majority occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or brand marks. The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “free giveaway”. As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply. “Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert. What to do Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is. Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to wellbeing. Fraudsters can expend considerable effort 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 online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is properly registered.