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You have come across so much regarding the use of weight loss injections to get slim, you feel it is time to try them out ahead of the festive season. The problem is expense.

But it seems alternatives exist instead of getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a website with more affordable medication – and requiring no need to navigate official channels. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to go for it.

The catch is these ads are highly likely to be fraudulent schemes. At best, you'll receive no product and lose any funds you paid. At worst, you receive a counterfeit item, with unknown ingredients that could lead to severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate slimming drugs has resulted in a rise in counterfeit products hitting the market and scams set up to simply take people’s money.

Health authorities have warned against buying these illegal weight loss medicines without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or via social media, stating they could contain “toxins and other ingredients that could cause real harm”.

Recent statistics from a major retail bank reveal a sharp rise in the quantity of customers who have been impacted by the fraud. According to the bank, the amount of money stolen through fraudulent activities related to slimming jabs, injector pens, pills and lipid-reducing solutions during the third quarter this year, was over twice the overall amount lost in the previous three months. Each incident typically sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Scammers are deliberately targeting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams soaring in the past few months,” says a bank’s head of fraud.

What it looks like

Most take place on communication platforms and social networks. Across platforms, an account may imitate the company that you are looking for, but there will typically be slight variations in spelling or brand marks.

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

As the price of some legitimate weight loss jabs, has increased recently, the fraudsters will price their “item” more cheaply.

“Buying from unverified sellers on the internet can come at a significant financial, medical and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

What to do

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

Health regulators have cautioned people to be highly vigilant when purchasing medications online. They should only be obtained from a registered pharmacy with a valid script provided by a medical practitioner, they advise. When procured from other sources, they can present serious risks to wellbeing.

Criminals can expend considerable effort to design their webpage or social media page appear completely genuine. If they claim 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.