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You've come across a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and going to the pharmacy. A text message comes through providing a URL to a website with more affordable medication – and with no necessity to navigate official channels. You also noticed a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.

The problem is such promotions are almost certainly scams. In the best-case scenario, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and additional components that could cause genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the fraud. The bank says, the amount of money lost to scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

The majority take place on communication platforms and social networks. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but there will typically be subtle differences in text or logos.

These communications or posts will frequently use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of certain authentic slimming injections, has increased recently, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious financial, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

As with all scams, the old adage holds true: if it appears overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines online. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist using a prescription issued by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to health.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, you can check the website of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.