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You have come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no need to navigate proper procedures. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.

The problem is these ads are highly likely to be scams. At best, you'll receive nothing and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you receive a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a increase in fake goods hitting the market and deceptive practices set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing such unlawful slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most take place on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, an account may mimic the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in text or logos.

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

As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.

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Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to ensure they are properly registered.