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You've 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. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. An SMS arrives giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a similar ad on online platforms the other day, so you decide to take the plunge.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be scams. In the best-case scenario, you will be sent no product and forfeit any funds you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, containing unspecified components which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs 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 purchasing these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they might include “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank show a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the total sum stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. The average scam costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and medical worries, with such frauds soaring in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

The majority occur on communication platforms and social media. Across platforms, a profile may mimic the company that you seek, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or logos.

The messages or posts will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

With the cost of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the scammers will price their “product” lower.

“Purchasing from unverified sellers on the internet can entail a significant financial, health-related and emotional cost,” says the security specialist.

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Like any deceptive scheme, the wise saying holds true: if it appears too good to be true, then it probably is.

Health regulators have warned people to be highly vigilant when buying medicines via the web. These products must solely be acquired from a registered pharmacy using a prescription provided by a healthcare professional, they advise. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within the UK, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.