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You have heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. The problem is expense.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, prompting you to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.

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

New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities involving weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most occur on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the brand that you seek, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

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

As the price of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant monetary, medical and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Medical authorities have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are correctly licensed.