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You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper drugs – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. In the worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

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

Health authorities have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, bogus online chemists or via social media, stating they might include “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities involving slimming jabs, pens, pills and fat-dissolving products between July and September , was more than double the overall amount lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with these scams soaring in recent months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

The messages or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “complimentary gift”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the scammers will price their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm this is correctly licensed.