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You have heard and read so much regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is expense.

But it seems there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.

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

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, rose of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a significant monetary, medical and psychological toll,” says the security specialist.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.

Medical authorities have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines online. These products must only be obtained from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in the UK, it's possible to verify the website of the medicines oversight organisation to confirm they are correctly licensed.