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You've heard and read a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, you feel it is time to give it a go ahead of the holiday period. However, the issue lies in expense.

Yet it appears alternatives exist rather than obtaining a doctor's script and going to the pharmacy. A text message arrives providing a URL to a website with more affordable drugs – and requiring 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 scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit any funds you paid. In the worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The widespread use of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams established to merely steal consumers' cash.

Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, fake pharmacy websites or through digital platforms, saying they might include “harmful substances and additional components which may provoke real harm”.

New figures from a high street bank show a significant surge in the number 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 lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the previous three months. Each incident typically costs victims £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

What it looks like

Most take place on messaging apps and social networks. Across platforms, a profile may imitate the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice subtle differences in text or brand marks.

These communications or updates will frequently use pressure-inducing language such as “time-sensitive deal”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

As the price of certain authentic weight loss jabs, rose recently, the scammers will set the cost of their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” says the fraud expert.

What to do

Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage holds true: if it appears too good to be true, it likely isn't genuine.

Health regulators have warned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, it says. If sourced elsewhere, they can present significant dangers to wellbeing.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to design their webpage or social media page look as authentic as possible. Should they state to be an internet-based chemist located within Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are properly registered.