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You've come across so much about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on social media the other day, prompting you to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent no product and lose whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in serious medical issues.

The widespread use of legitimate slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to scams related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. The average scam costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Scammers are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

How It Appears

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but there will typically be subtle differences in spelling or brand marks.

The messages or updates will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose of late, the scammers will set the cost of their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers online can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or online profile look as authentic as possible. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.