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You have heard and read a great deal about people using slimming jabs to lose weight, it feels like the moment has come to give it a go ahead of the festive season. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. An SMS comes through providing a URL to a website with much cheaper drugs – and with no necessity to navigate proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on social media recently, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are almost certainly fraudulent schemes. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent nothing and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you obtain a fake version, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of authentic weight loss medications has led to a rise in counterfeit products entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or via digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank reveal a significant surge in the number of clients who have been affected by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams related to slimming jabs, pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

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

What it looks like

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

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

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

“Buying from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a significant monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

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As with all scams, 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 buying medicines online. They should only be obtained from a licensed chemist using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present serious risks to health.

Fraudsters can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm this is properly registered.