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You have come across a great deal regarding the use of slimming jabs to get slim, it feels like it is time to give it a go in the run-up to the holiday period. The problem is cost.

But it seems alternatives exist rather than getting a prescription and visiting the pharmacy. An SMS comes through giving a link to a site with much cheaper medication – and with no necessity to go through proper procedures. You also noticed a similar ad on online platforms recently, so you decide to take the plunge.

The problem is these ads are almost certainly scams. At best, you'll receive no product and forfeit whatever money you spent. At worst, you receive a fake version, with unknown ingredients which may result in severe health problems.

The popularity of legitimate weight loss medications has led to a rise in fake goods entering circulation and scams established to simply take people’s money.

Medical regulators have advised avoiding buying such unlawful slimming medications without a prescription from beauty salons, fake pharmacy websites or through social media, stating they could contain “toxins and additional components which may provoke genuine injury”.

New figures from a high street bank reveal a sharp rise in the number of clients who have been affected by the fraud. According to the bank, the total sum lost to fraudulent activities related to weight loss injections, pens, tablets and lipid-reducing solutions between July and September , was more than double the total sum lost in the prior quarter. The average scam sets back sufferers £120, it says.

“Fraudsters are actively exploiting individuals' self-doubts and health concerns, with these scams skyrocketing in recent months,” notes a financial institution's fraud prevention lead.

How It Appears

The majority occur on messaging apps and social networks. On socials, a profile may mimic the company that you are looking for, but you'll often notice slight variations in text or logos.

The messages or updates will often use urgency-laden phrases such as “limited-time offer”, “special promotion” or “complimentary gift”.

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

“Purchasing from unapproved vendors online can entail a serious monetary, health-related and psychological toll,” warns the fraud expert.

What to do

As with all scams, the wise saying holds true: should something seem overly advantageous, then it probably is.

Health regulators have cautioned people to be extremely cautious when buying medicines via the web. They should only be obtained 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.

Fraudsters can go to great lengths to make their site or social media page appear completely genuine. Should they state to be an online pharmacy based in Great Britain, it's possible to verify the online portal of the pharmaceutical regulatory body to confirm they are correctly licensed.