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You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to lose weight, you feel it is time to try them out in the run-up to the festive season. The problem is cost.

Yet it appears there are other options instead of obtaining a doctor's script and visiting the chemist. A text message comes through giving a link to a website with much cheaper medication – and requiring no need to go through proper procedures. And you saw a comparable advertisement on online platforms recently, 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 whatever money you spent. At worst, you obtain a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to serious medical issues.

The popularity of authentic slimming drugs has led to a rise in fake goods hitting the market and scams set up to simply take consumers' cash.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding purchasing these illegal slimming medications absent a doctor's order from aesthetic clinics, bogus online chemists or through digital platforms, stating they could contain “harmful substances and other ingredients which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the scam. The bank says, the amount of money stolen through scams involving weight loss injections, injector pens, tablets and fat-dissolving products between July and September this year, was over twice the overall amount stolen in the prior quarter. Each incident typically costs victims £120, reports indicate.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in the past few months,” notes a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

Most occur on messaging apps and social media. Across platforms, an account may imitate the brand that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in spelling or logos.

The messages or posts will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “exclusive deal” or “free giveaway”.

As the price of certain authentic slimming injections, rose recently, the fraudsters will price their “product” more cheaply.

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors on the internet can come at a serious monetary, health-related and emotional cost,” warns the security specialist.

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Like any deceptive scheme, the old adage applies: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when purchasing medications via the web. They should solely be acquired from a licensed chemist with a valid script issued by a healthcare professional, they advise. When procured from other sources, they may pose significant dangers to health.

Criminals can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim to be an online pharmacy located within the UK, you can check the online portal of the medicines oversight organisation to ensure they are properly registered.