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You've heard and read so much about people using slimming jabs to get slim, you feel the moment has come to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.

But it seems there are other options rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS arrives providing a URL to a site with more affordable drugs – and requiring no necessity to go through official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.

The problem is such promotions are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you will be sent nothing and forfeit whatever money you spent. In the 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 resulted in a increase in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, saying they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a high street bank show a significant surge in the quantity of clients who have been affected by the scam. According to the bank, the amount of money lost to scams related to slimming jabs, pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting people’s insecurities and medical worries, with such frauds skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

Most take place on messaging apps and social media. On socials, a profile may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.

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

With the cost of some legitimate slimming injections, has increased of late, the fraudsters will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unapproved vendors online can come at a serious financial, medical and emotional cost,” warns the fraud expert.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying applies: should something seem overly advantageous, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they may pose serious risks to health.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or online profile appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy based in the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are correctly licensed.