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You've heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. However, the issue lies in expense.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on social media recently, so you decide to go for it.

The catch is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you paid. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.

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

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority take place on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you seek, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.

These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will price their “item” lower.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.